It's a Wild Life
by bxk-freakazoid
Summary: Ben is bitten by an alien unknown to him, and hence he doesnt make a deal about it. Unfortunately, it turns out PRETTY bad, when he starts going hungry...for his boyfriend! rated M! Newly MPreg! :D
1. Ben gets bitten

_**Hello folks!**_

_**i am finally getting out another story of mine...one i made two years ago, and typing out NOW! hopefully, ppl mite like it.**_

_**warning: contains a lot of the element of yaoi (boy luvs boy who luvs him back) so homophobes please leave kindly!**_

_**disclaimer: i donot own ben ten alien force (sigh)**_

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_**IT'S A WILD LIFE**_

_**Chapter one : Ben gets bitten**_

Ben could not believe what he had fallen into, as he ran breathlessly for his life. He turned amidst his sprint to have a look at the bluish beast chasing him, and he regretted having turned at all; the sight made his heart jump to his mouth.

"I'm alien toast!" he cursed as he ran.

Looking down at his omnitrix, Ben didn't feel any better. After having already kicked a lot of this alien's butt, the omnitrix had timed out, and was now a stubborn shade of 'not any more' red.

"Damn. Why doesn't this thing ever co-operate with me?!"

Ben couldn't be blamed; because even though he was in possession of the most powerful gadget in the universe, he was still only a teenager not having the full skills of controlling it, as Azmuth said.

Ben regretted having taken off the omnitrix for five years.

"I could've done with the practice."

Gwen was not around. The truth was; their mission had ended hours ago, and she went home to complete her vacation assignments, while Ben, not caring a hoot about his own vacation homework, decided to take a stroll along the park, to shake off the boredom.

Kevin was not available because he was off to another planet for a solo mission of his own; a mechanic job for an old alliance.

Ben's stroll to the park went awry when he stumbled upon a huge blue-furred alien.

It was as large as a bear, and just as capable of standing on its hind feet. Covered in blue-tinged fur with several black streaks here and there, coupled with large yellow irises, this beast was like a werewolf; not a wolf, not a human. It also had a head full of sharp canine incisor teeth which at the moment were bent on devouring Ben. Large black claws lurched at Ben, who was luckily inches out of its reach. A large black and blue bushy tail whipped from it's behind.

Ben was running like never before, yet it was a surprise that he was comparatively outrunning an alien in his human form!

Ben gulped as he heard the large wolfish jaws chomp the sir, narrowly missing his legs.

"Come on! Please!" Ben chanted, as he fiddled with the omnitrix, which was still red.

Unfortunately, he was so intent on the gadget around his wrist that he did not notice the bump on the path. Clumsily, his foot flailed once his sneaker met the bump; and he tumbled forward on the ground, scratching his chin, skidding to a stop.

Fortunately, the beast behind was running so fast, that it could not fight the inertia that made him leap up and over Ben's body. It too skidded on its feet and turned around; eyes fixated on Ben's lithe form trying to lift himself off the ground.

"Woah!" Ben exclaimed as the alien lurched at him.

For a moment, Ben could see all his teeth and even his pink throat as the mouth came at him to bite off his head. Ben suddenly, on human instinct, did a miraculous twirl on his elbows; and once again missed being chewed off.

But, that did not prevent the creature from trying a special trick of his own; it swung its head sideways, and caught Ben's left leg between its teeth. However, it could not get a grip; but some of the incisors (each the size of a banana) scraped painfully on Ben's shin.

Throwing himself aside after his 'twirl'; he glanced at his wound; the jeans torn at the spot; crimson blood already staining its way to Ben's sneakers.

"How will I explain _this_ to Kevin?"

He looked up at the beast, whose tongue lapped across the few teeth that was stained with the brunette's blood. Another attempt of attack was about to unfold; when Ben heard the familiar sound that flooded him with hysteric relief –

_Beep beep._

The omnitrix was activated again!

It was now its pleasant toxic green, ready to save Ben.

The creature staggered back when a bright flash of green blinded it, and then the high-pitched call came.

"Jetray!"

The red flying alien swung out, circling the blue alien, having half a mind to teach it some lesson for messing with him; but logic told him that he'd better treat the minor wound gashed on his leg. So, Jetray flew out the reach of the confused beast, whilst sticking out his tongue at it, in a Ben-like fashion.

Phew. That was close.

At least, it was over.

On his way back home, he thought about which perfect excuse he would have to use to justify this to Kevin.

o.o.o

A few days have passed since his 'injury'.

Ben now sat dumb and bored on the couch, dreaming of Kevin.

Ben was quite pissed at his boyfriend; who had left saying that he had to do a little debt-work for an ally who owed him after he had stepped out the Null Void a few years ago. And, Kevin had left earth, promising his sweetheart that it would only be a matter of three days.

He had even installed a high-tech computer-like device in the corner of his bedroom, to communicate with Ben from his intergalactic workstation.

And Ben was now pissed because only a few days ago, Kevin had wearily announced through the communication device that he was being delayed, and could come back only after a week.

_A week!_ Ben had groaned, _that's seven days without you! _

But Ben had no choice; all he could do was wait.

Of course; this was not _his_ home; it was _Kevin's_ home.

Ben's parents were off to another continent and wouldn't be back for a while, so he had sought their permission to stay over at Kevin's. Carl and Sandra, unaware of the raven's intimate relation with Ben, easily complied.

Perfect.

Kevin himself had no parents; his father had died when he was little, and he lost his mother at about the age of six. So he had been living the life of a bachelor; parentless, and independent.

Awesome.

And Ben had his vacations going on now, so there was no school.

Great.

All of this meant that Kevin and Ben could spend some 'quality' time together. But the glitch in the whole thing came in the form of this solo mission.

Ben pouted angrily.

Of course, Ben did contact his boyfriend through the communication device Kevin installed, so he did not feel altogether lonely. Ben would speak of his day-to-day alien missions, while Kevin, not being much of a speaker, spoke bits about his space mechanic work.

Kevin knew how to cook; he had learnt that in the process of 'growing up alone'. But Ben had no idea how to cook, so Gwen bought over breakfast, lunch and dinner that her mom made for him. And she too would at times chat with her ex-boyfriend, just so that Kevin gets to know little tips on how Ben was doing, or whether he was hiding something from him.

Julie visited too, at times bringing over Ship; to show new tricks the little alien had learnt. Julie would speak to Kevin too, asking him about certain weapons that Ship turned into, that were completely unrecognizable to her.

Life was going normal, in its own weird ways, for the four teenagers. They always hung in the group of four, but now that Kevin was not here, they hung as three. That was all that was different; otherwise, things were going smooth….for now.

o.o.o

One night; Ben sat dumb again on the couch, watching T.V.

He hadn't much considered wearing anything, so all he wore was a skimpy green night robe that was only a few inches down his waist, and black boxers. In one hand, he had a Mr. Smoothie cup, off which he sipped lazily every now and then; and on the other hand he had the remote control that he waved, bored, in the air. With his feet propped up on the tea-poi, his left leg bandaged a little at the shin; Ben yawned as he watched Ironman swish through the large TV screen.

That was when he heard the series of knocks. On the front door.

The first thing Ben did was glance at the clock. It was like twelve at midnight!

"Who is it, _now_?" he groaned. He paused for another moment, and a second series of knocks came. Having no other ploy in mind, he got up lethargically to answer the door. He was not even appropriately dressed to receive a visitor at night, but he didn't give a damn.

Ben unlocked the door, and slowly swung it open.

"Woah..!" a gasped escaped Ben's lips.

The large masculine figure that stood before him, gave him a charming roguish smile.

"Hey, Benji! Love the sexy outfit. Didjya put it on for me?"

"KEVVVIIINN!"

Ben's high-pitched squeal could have awakened the dead.

Immediately, slender arms whipped around Kevin's neck, and the small form pressed against him in a tight embrace, smiling into the raven hair.

"God I miss that!" Kevin groaned, breathing in the scent of the chestnut hair and lightly tan skin. His own large arms came slowly around the lithe body, hugging Ben back lovingly.

Home sweet home.

Once Ben pulled back, he squeaked, "You really surprised me!"

"Did I?" came the mischievous answer.

Ben noticed that the caramel eyes were tired and drowsy.

"You look tired", Ben spoke in concern, stroking the cleft jaws.

"I'm beat, to be exact", Kevin sighed, "It was like a nonstop rollercoaster, man! Phew!"

Ben smiled good-naturedly. He slung one of Kevin's arms across his own petite shoulders, and helped the thankful teenager into the living room, "You lie down for a bit, ok?"

"Thanks, Tennyson!" Kevin sighed gratefully as he slumped gracelessly on the couch, too tired to even take off his shoes, which Ben took off for him. Ben felt rather lusty to have Kevin back again, but seeing the raven in need of some shut eye, Ben had to push dirty thoughts to the back of his mind for now.

After removing the leather jacket Kevin wore and taking off his socks as well; Ben knelt on the floor, beside the couch, gazing at the elder who looked back with a smile.

"You missed me bad, didn't you?" Kevin's eyes were half closed.

"Yes. Goes without saying." Ben smiled adorably, leaning in to present him with a kiss, which Kevin was glad to accept, his eyelids lowering further, irises shining dreamily. Ben relished the feeling he had missed for a week, kissing the raven for long enough that when Ben pulled back, Kevin's eyes were fully closed.

Sitting up, Ben stroked off stray fringes from the raven's forehead, and planted a kiss there as well.

"Goodnight, Kevin."

Ben fetched a blanket from his bedroom, which he then laid atop the soundly sleeping osmosian.

o.o.o

The next morning...

"So you actually came at around midnight?!" chuckled Gwen as she laid a plate of fresh pancakes on the dining table. Kevin nodded in reply, fishing out one pancake.

"But unfortunately, I spaced out from exhaustion; so I couldn't _fully_ let Benji know how happy I was coming back to earth!"

Saying thus, Kevin leaned towards blushing Ben who sat beside him, but was suddenly interrupted by Gwen who snapped, "No dirty romancing at the table!" brandishing a forefinger at them.

Both the boys rolled their eyes at the same time, making Julie laugh and almost choke on her pancakes.

And they all tucked in.

Unlike Julie, Kevin and Gwen, Ben had eggs and bacon. When asked why he preferred a different meal, he answered, "I just feel like having meat."

Ben stabbed at the beacon and stuffed a whole lot into his full mouth.

The three raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Woah-woah WOAH! Slow down, Tennyson; don't pig out!" said Kevin grabbing Ben's wrist before more beacon made its way into the over-filled mouth.

"Whauh! Lemme eaauh!" Ben spoke with his mouth full.

"Fine! But finish the bunch in your mouth first!"

Ben nodded, chomping quietly.

Kevin looked at the girls as if for explanations, "It's like as if he hasn't eaten for days!" and then a sudden thought struck his head. He turned to the chomping brunette, "Have you been skipping meals, Ben?!"

But Gwen answered that, since Ben was too busy eating anyway, "No, He's been eating well. A little too well."

Then Julie leaned in and whispered to Kevin, "But he seems to have developed a like for meat. A weird like, that is."

Kevin looked dumb-founded.

_Poor thing_, Kevin thought, _he's trying to fill his sexual appetite with his real one!_

Gwen suddenly frowned at him, hissing, "Is that _all_ you ever think about, you pervert?!"

"Wait, she can read minds now?!", Kevin blinked at Julie.

Julie nodded solemnly, "You missed that on your week-long absence. Shes mastering the ability. But its use is limited, though effective. So you better watch out."

Gwen gave him a death glare, which he chose to ignore by concentrating on his pancake. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ben gulping down a glass of orange juice.

_I'll make it up to you tonight, babe. I promise!_

-End of chapter-

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**_...tada!..._**

**_There! i finally posted one chapter!_**

**_any twilight fans reading this fic, pls dont be mad at me! i just liked the concept of a werewolfish vampire though that wud be hard to imagine for you! :D_**

**_Oh and...KEVIN ROCKS!_**

**_Reviews and comments appreciated! mwah!_**


	2. Failed attempts

_**Hello AGAIN! i luv you all for reviewing and following this story!**_

_**heres chap 2 !**_

_**warning: contains a lot of the element of yaoi (boy luvs boy who luvs him back) so homophobes please leave kindly!**_

_**disclaimer: i donot own ben ten alien force **_

* * *

_**IT'S A WILD LIFE**_

**_Chapter two : Failed Attempts_**

Kevin had his mind set on Ben the whole day, since breakfast. During this, he had learnt from his trusty friends that not a lot has changed around town in his absence.

Nonetheless, he was happy to have come back to earth; or better said, to Ben.

He definitely missed being with the airhead of a brunette; his cheerfully idiotic ways, his odd determination to save the world, his trademark squeaks and squawks.

Both mostly, his kisses and cuddles.

Ah, it was bliss. It had not been twenty four hours since Kevin had come back to earth, and yet, he felt all of eternity was complete as he sat calm in the back seat of his beloved Camaro, with his young lover's head against his chest. Simply the feel of the soft brown hair that smelt curiously of smoothies, against his cheek, the long, slender, green-clad arms wound around his muscular abdomen, the soft heaves of the younger teen's breath harmonizing with his own…Kevin would kill for this moment. One of Kevin's hands absent-mindedly stroked the smooth upper back while the other held Ben's arm. Kevin gave out a gentle sigh, "I really missed you…" to which Ben replied with a smile, lifting his head and looking up at Kevin with beautiful green eyes shining in love and passion, "I missed you too, Kevin." Kevin smiled as he answered, "I was talking to my car", and the green eyes turned a fatal, acid-jade in fury.

"Just kidding, you dope! You know my car comes only _second_ to _you_!" Kevin purred, planting a kiss atop the brown head.

Ah….bliss, indeed.

Things were getting so normal. This was their life; odd, alien-infested, constantly in risk…but normal in their opinion, after all they had been through. For now.

o.o.o

It was around 10 pm.

Kevin stood silently in the kitchen, finishing off the soda he had opened. Sipping the last drop out of the silver can, he flung it artistically into the garbage can, making sure it didn't miss it's mark. Once that was done, he wondered about Ben. Kevin stretched and yawned; a sight enough to cause a ripple of screams from girls. Slicking back his silken hair, only to have it fall back onto his forehead, Kevin observed the situation:-

Gwen and Julie were both in their respective homes. Grandpa Max was in his usual alien patrol.

Which left himself and Ben ALL alone in this large house….at night….

Wandering upstairs, Kevin stood in front of Ben's bedroom (which Kevin had assigned to him after he came to stay here). He made up his mind whether to walk in, or not; and the former decision won hands down. Walking into the room without knocking as usual, Kevin found the room empty. It was then he noticed light glowing from around the open edges of the built-in bathroom.

In a few minutes, Ben walked out of the small bathroom. Kevin's eyes swept up and down the lithe figure dressed in pajamas; fresh after a bath. Soon, the green eyes looked up, obviously having felt the strength of the long powerful gaze. Ben smiled as he spotted the raven standing at the threshold.

"Hey, Kevin. Bedtime?"

Kevin didn't reply. Instead he walked over to Ben, grinned widely, and pushed him into a deep kiss; toppling himself and the brunette onto the bed with laughs and giggles. Kevin wanted to make up for the week of 'intimacy' they had missed out on, although he couldn't think straight with lust clouding him. The very sight of Ben was enough to set his heart on fire. And now finally, to have him all to himself, alone, in a dark bedroom.

Perfect.

Kevin's lips left Ben's, and meandered down to the slender neck, nipping him in all the sensitive spots Kevin had learnt over the months of their relationship. Ben had his eyed screwed tightly shut, enjoying every bit of the skin contact; he let out moans that had the raven going crazier by the minute, even the lush kisses weren't satisfying him. Need was building up in his torso, and he didn't want to keep it waiting. His fingers were exceptionally quick as he expertly undid all of the buttons on Ben's pajama jacket, all with one hand. In the quick attempt to de-clothe his beloved's lower half, whilst kissing, Kevin's felt something brush against his leg.

Ben opened his green eyes veiled in pleasure when there was a loss of contact between their lips. He blinked once or twice in surprise –

Kevin had broken the kiss, and was now sporting a confused look.

"What's wrong?" Ben enquired with a raised brow.

"Feels like something's tied to your leg, Ben."

_Uh,oh._

"Uh…whuh?" Ben feigned innocence, but he could not stop his wretched left eye from twitching.

Kevin narrowed his eyes at him, and from such close quarters, it was not a comfortable look as far as Ben knew.

"What's tied to your leg, Ben?" Kevin asked, his drawling voice demanding the truth, while he had already started getting up to inspect his Benji's shin.

"No, it's nothing", Ben squeaked, pulling the broad shoulder back on to his small chest, "It's just a bandage…"

He is not allowed to lie, but he CAN hide half the truth, right?

"A _bandage_?!" Kevin exclaimed, now even more intent on the shin.

In a single heave, he pulled himself off the slender frame and sat up. With only a single muscular arm, he hoisted Ben's legs, and pulled off the pajama shorts completely with his other hand. What revealed was Ben's attractive boxer-sporting torso, with the pair of long slender legs; which did their job of distracting Kevin from his goal.

Yet…

"Aha!" Kevin triumphantly growled, as he saw the large clumsily tied bandage, and then turning to the slighter teen's face, he asked, "Whats happened to your leg?"

Ben, who had up until now laid waiting for Kevin to ask, sat up with a sheepish look on his blushing face as he squeaked, "It's just a tiny injury! A teensy bruise!"

"You used an awful lotta bandages for a 'teensy bruise'?!"

Ben had to sigh to give in, "Ok, it was a small accident. I hit something on my leg and…I gave it first aid."

"What 'something'?"

Ben rolled his eyes desperately.

"Look, it's nothing ok?! Just a mission; I was fighting with some alien and the omnitrix timed out. So… I got thrown on the ground and hit my shin against a boulder, or such."

Kevin fixed him with a strong, smoldering gaze, but Ben kept his face lowered, for two reasons:

_One_, he could not lie at Kevin's not-buying-it look.

_Two_, he expected his eye to twitch, thereby giving him away. But miraculously, it didn't.

Maybe it was due to the fact that Ben was _not lying_, he was just speaking _half the truth_; that's all. After all, Kevin doesn't _need_ to know that an alien bit him.

What's the big deal?! He's_ Ben Tennyson_! He can survive _anything_!

Ben looked up at the caramel eyes, in a beseeching manner. What he wanted was hours of skin-to-skin friction, and here was a Kevin mulling over a bruise!

"You got hurt when I was not there", Kevin pointed out gravely.

Ben smiled in return, "Kevin, It's alright! I'm Ben Tennyson! I can survive anything!"

"What if your _head_ got hit or something?!"

"It didn't, right?! Luck's with _me_!"

Kevin sat still for a few moments. The he spoke again, "Why didn't you ask Gwen to heal the wound for you? She coulda done it in a jiffy."

"Nah, I didn't want to bother her about it", Ben shrugged airily. The truth being that he refused to tell even his cousin about it, lest she spill it to Kevin. Ben added with a sense of pride, "And, for once, I want to do something for myself; I can't depend on her for each and everything!"

Kevin let out a sigh. His calloused fingers ran slowly over the bandages, and then looked into the green eyes. He reached out to hold the small, shining face with the pretty, green eyes and luscious, full lips, "I'm sorry about being so concerned, Tennyson; but I just don't want to have the feeling that once I'm away I could lose you; and I don't want to lose the one person who's _ever_ loved me."

Ben's jade orbs glittered mischievously as he whispered, "But I'm _Ben Tennyson_! I can surv - ummph!" he was cut off by a happy kiss, which soon developed into a deep-throated war between their tongues.

Bodies were heating up, sweat forming around the hairlines on their heads…nothing was of concern anymore…it was just them alone…and their burning passion. Just when Kevin's fingers had meandered under Ben's shirt –

TRIING! TRIIING, TRIIING, TRIIIIIIIIIIING!

"What the _FUCK?!_" Kevin growled angrily, sitting up for the second time; his eyes staring at Ben's cell phone singing for attendance. Kevin tried to fry it with a death glare, and both the teens paused in mid-kiss, for the caller to wear out in impatience, but the ringing went on, till the semi-naked Ben had no choice but to grumble and lean over to snatch the thing in his fingers.

"Who IS it?" Kevin hissed, making up his mind to smash his fist on the face of the caller, for ruining his 'moment' with Ben.

"It's…Gwen…" Ben looked puzzled.

Kevin had to drop his smash-fist plan. Nonetheless, he was pissed, but all he could do was wait by folding his hands, and watching Ben attend the call.

The conversation was over in a few minutes, and Ben had put down the phone on the table; turning to Kevin, he had an apologetic look on his face, "There's been a security breach in the nuclear plant. Same ol' ploy of those DNAliens…Grandpa Max caught them during his patrol, but there's too many."

Kevin looked at him with a stupid look on his face:-

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

"Unfortunately, I'm not; but Gwen wants us ready in five minutes."

Kevin froze in disbelief.

_Why, of all times, do those freaking aliens have to attack the plant, NOW?!_

Ben huffed sadly, and made to get up, tugging at the sleeve of his boy-friend's arm, "C'mon, Kevin; the faster we get done with this alien business, the quicker we can get back to bed!"

Groaning, Kevin nodded and got up as well.

o.o.o

There was a lot of grumbling and mumbling, especially from Kevin, when Gwen and Julie sat in the camaro, which sped to the required destination. Julie was there too, because she had been staying over at Gwen's for the night, and had mastered a lot of the weapons Ship could turn into.

"Did we ruin you guys' sleep?" Julie asked a little worriedly.

Ben replied, "Nah it's ok -", but Kevin cut him off, to snort, "Yea! You _did_! We were getting all comfy and you guys ruined it!"

Ben blushed, looking out the window.

"Well, _excuse_ us if we interfered your 'private' time, but we're saving the _world_ here!" Gwen snapped, she herself quite angry because she had to miss her soap opera.

At the red signal, Kevin paused his driving, and rolled his eyes at tonight's failed attempt of sex. Cursing under his breath, he flared his nostrils in anger. All of a sudden, he felt a warm hand rest on his knee, and he turned to see Ben smile warmly at him, and Kevin knew what that look meant -

_Maybe after the butt-kicking tonight?_

The hard, cold look on Kevin's face dropped, to give in to a calm countenance, as he too smiled.

_Yeah. Maybe after the butt-kicking tonight_.

o.o.o

When the mission of alien butt-kicking was finally over, it was midnight; and a pair of very tired teenage boys fell flat on the sofa at the Levin house.

_Maybe tomorrow…._

-End of chapter-

* * *

**_...tada!_**

**_another chapter done! a bit of a dissppointment for those who expected steamy m rated scenes huh?! bwahaha! i like surprising ppl!_**

**_more chaps coming folks! :)_**

**_Reviews and comments appreciated! mwah!_**


	3. Ben's new inner self

_**Wohoo! chap 3 up finally!**_

_**warning: contains a lot of the element of yaoi (boy luvs boy who luvs him back) so homophobes please leave kindly!**_

_**disclaimer: i donot own ben ten alien force **_

* * *

_**IT'S A WILD LIFE**_

**_Chapter three: Ben's new innerself_**

Kevin and Ben were in a bit of a chaos.

Every time they got rather close to romance, someone or some_thing_ might interrupt them. This was rather frustrating, but nonetheless, they had to give in to the different situations putting their romance out of grace.

For instance :-

Kevin would have_ just_ got Ben's shirt off...and Gwen calls them to inform that another alien attack has started.

Kevin and Ben would have just got their lip-lock intense...and the plumber's badge beeps to project a holographic image of Grandpa Max who would have a message from Azmuth.

Kevin would be busy licking off Ben's abdominal muscles...when Ben's smoothie order comes late.

Well, the last interruption turned to an outburst of Kevin growling at the delivery guy, "_We don't want no fucking smoothie! Now leave us ALONE!_"

Ben could only sigh.

He was going to have to bribe the service to be in their good graces after Kevin's temper.

o.o.o

Five days passed this way.

"It's like some unseen force is trying to keep us apart!", groaned Kevin, as he sat mulling over his failed attempts. He was talking to Gwen and Julie; both listened with a raised eyebrow each.

They were at Mr. Smoothie's, the trio waiting outside, leaning against Kevin's car.

"You mean to tell me you guys haven't done…_that_…since you came back?!" asked Julie in a bit of a surprise. She for one had experience of sighting the fierceness of the boys' love for each other!

Kevin nodded gravely. Merely thinking about Ben was making him impatient. And horny.

"Wow. No wonder you both are so _cross_ with everything!" Gwen chuckled; earning a death glare from the raven who crushed the empty can in his ruthless fist.

Kevin went back to thinking again, and then the object of his affection swooped into view, smiling, "Hey guys! Sorry I took so long!"

Ben had zoomed off previously, when he spotted an old lady about to be robbed; and had excused himself to go help her, whilst the remaining three order smoothies at Mr. Smoothie. Now that he was back, he looked around at the trio and snapped, "Where's the grilled chicken?!"

Three pairs of eyebrows shot up in awe.

"Uh, Ben? This is Mr. Smoothie's? They don't _serve_ grilled chicken?" Gwen spoke confusedly.

"Oh yeah... ", he pouted in realization, and then shrugged off airily,"Fine, let's go to that other restaurant where they do serve grilled chicken!" Ben smiled excitedly. And when no one moved, Ben added, "Like _now_!"

"No, Ben; we're having _smoothies _now", Kevin said as if speaking to a ten year old, "But you can make up with chilli fries -"

"_No_! I want _grilled chicken! NOW!_" Ben snapped like the ten year old that Kevin was assumed to be speaking to.

Julie almost jumped at Ben's suddenly high pitched voice.

"Ben…" Kevin started, trying to reason with his boyfriend's sudden and stubborn demand, but Ben put on his adorable pout-face and Kevin got up addressing the girls, "Come on. We might as well give in to him. And I'm tired of smoothies anyway…"

"Yay!" Ben cheered, like a kid who just got his Christmas present.

Gwen frowned at Kevin, hissing at him as they walked away from the café, "You are _such _a softie! All he has to do is make the puppy-dog face and you're putty in his hands! And besides, hasn't he had enough meat lately? Or haven't you noticed that?!"

Kevin's face scowled in thought too. Yes, he _had_ noticed Ben's odd liking for meat.

_Yeah…Ben's been acting different nowadays…_

All of them walked calmly to the 'other' restaurant Ben spoke of. It was all calm until Ben gave out an opinion:-

"Oh, and I'm getting tired of smoothies too, Kev!" Ben cooed hanging on to Kevin's arm.

Again, three pairs of eyebrows shot up. Ben NEVER gives up on smoothies!

Something is _definitely_ wrong with Ben…

o.o.o

An hour after their trip to the restaurant to satisfy Ben sudden want for grilled chicken, Kevin went into thought again. He was rather disturbed about Ben's sudden fantasy for meat, and not to mention his boredom with smoothies, which in itself was a legendary thing!

And another incident at the restaurant caught Kevin's attention:

Ben gagged at the word "Garlic Bread" on the menu. He practically threw the card off, saying he hated garlic and that he wanted to leave that instant. But of course, Gwen found it embarrassing to leave a restaurant without ordering anything added the fact that they already sat there and read the menu; so they stayed, managing a sulking Ben; who, however, was happy with the meat set before him.

"Since when did Ben have garlic-phobia?! What's he?_ A vampire_?!"

Despite the foolishness of the thought, Kevin made up his mind to check Ben's mouth next time they were about to kiss.

o.o.o

After several days ….

A beautiful moonlit night awaited them, and their spirits soared at the romantic atmosphere present in Kevin's bedroom. It's been a while since they could actually stand still without aliens attacking their home town, and them having to stop the invasion. Not to mention that they were always being interrupted.

But tonight, they were _not_ to be stopped!

The two beamed at each other in the dark room.

"Tonight, it's gonna happen...", Kevin breathed; and glancing sideways at Ben who stood beside him, the raven smirked with his eyes twinkling, "...after so many failed attempts!"

Ben smiled seductively in return.

That was all the raven needed as cue.

Without hesitation, he seized the brunette by the waist, making him squeal, and had them both topple gracefully on to Kevin's bed. Ravenous kisses followed, moans filled the air.

This time however, things seemed a little different. It was _Ben_ who sat atop Kevin's torso, beaming in the moonlight that swam in through the window overhead the bed. Both of them were clothed; but Ben was shirtless. And he would soon see to it that Kevin's light blue coat and white shirt, and his jeans, were removed, but not yet. Savouring Kevin's skin with his tongue, Ben at first decided to 'play with his food' as it is!

Kevin's eyes rolled in their sockets as the pink tongue ran sweet lashes against the strong column of his neck. Laying back, he sighed how he had missed this for weeks, and he let Ben play; he was obliged to hold back the burning need filling him below, just so that Ben could enjoy his temporary dominance a little more.

Hungry kisses followed, hickeys were made, and drool glistened on the corners of Ben's lips.

"Good God, Ben! What a _wolf _you are tonight!" Kevin groaned, as Ben's tongue molested his collarbones while his fingers were gripping the strong muscular biceps; one knee on the bed, other between Kevin's legs.

Ben raised himself off and grinned, "Yes! A Wolf of Desire, yes!" and he proceed to raise his head to the air and let out a very realistic, "Awooooooooooo!"

Kevin gazed up in enchantment, and remembering an old folktale of 'the little red riding hood', he teased, "Oh, Ben; what big _eyes_ you have!"

The said brunette lowered his face close to Kevin's and played along in a hiss, "All the better to see you well!" and surely, Ben's eyes were twice the toxic green they were, a beautiful seductive colour to Kevin.

"Oh, Ben; what a big _mouth_ you have!" Kevin teased next, not quite accurate to the fairytale.

"All the better to kiss you well!", Ben's lips grinned; full lips that had Kevin fantasising ever since he returned from the Null Void.

That was when Kevin noticed, "Hey, Ben...what...big..._teeth_ you have?...", and his voice trailed off. Kevin's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Surely, was he dreaming?

Because Ben sported a deadly set of fangs! A full row of sharp canine teeth that shone like polished ivory; resembling those of...wolves!

"All the better to eat you well!" answered Ben, without letting Kevin's shock of a question be left hanging.

That was when Kevin noticed the eyes again. They were growing larger and larger, each socket with the iris filling the whole eye that was starting to shape like a large almond; the sharp incisors grew in his mouth too, and so did claws that came sprouting out of his fingers.

Kevin's heart jumped to his mouth and then dropped to the pits of his stomach.

_"I must be fucking dreaming...!"_

But there were clues to convince Kevin that he was NOT dreaming:

Like the fact that Ben's breath was hot against Kevin's face; and that when Kevin tried to move his hands away from the brunette's grip, it wouldn't budge considering that he, Kevin, was strong enough to fling Ben into the neighbour's house, and yet he could not make Ben's arm flinch! And the smaller knee pressed against Kevin's crotch was growing larger, painfully digging in; and the drool on Kevin's neck was still chilly...

Kevin watched open-mouthed as Ben's whole body grew larger and larger, the petite omnitrix on the brunette's wrist strained at the pace the later was growing, to a point that the band of the gadget was crackling.

And worst of all, Ben's skin was going blue!

When Ben tried to push his face closer to Kevin, the raven guessed it won't go well for him, so he openly struggled, "Get off me, Ben! What the hell's happening to you?!"

Swiftly, Kevin pulled up both his strong legs, connected them to Ben's growing blue chest and in a powerful heave, kicked him off the bed. Ben turned a somersault in the air, before landing nimbly on the floor, on his feet; his large, acid-green eyes fixated on the raven who rolled off the mattress, and stood on the other side of the bed.

Kevin gaped, breathing heavy, as Ben transformed; the omnitrix protested till it snapped off the wrist that was now thrice the usual size, and the gadget fell, rolling under the bed. Ben's pants tore at the waist and leg sleeves, till they were only like boxers for the beast that Ben had turned into. The face was no longer human; it was that of an alien wolf, black streaks running handsomely down the blue furred face, large pixie pointed ears shaded pink inside; a long snout that breathed Kevin's scent in the air; a set of horribly fatal looking teeth grinning, lined by thin black lips; the wolfish head sat upon a powerful thick neck, which in turn rested between broad, blue shoulders, with muscular biceps elongated on either side, sporting deadly black claws. The large imposing chest, heaving in hunger, was streaked in black and blue, as was the thick bushy tail that waved sly and slow. Large powerful hind feet resembled exactly that of a wolf's, and the size of it was proof enough of how fast he would be able to run.

Altogether, the beast Ben transformed into was twice as tall as Kevin.

"_Oh damn! Ben's been bitten by a Vulphorous_!" he gasped to himself, his eyes falling on the bandage that had been on the brunette's shin, but was now laying torn on the floor, exposing bite-marks on the skin which had been marked by that creature who had chased Ben days before Kevin came back from his assignment.

The wound disappeared as Ben completed his transformation.

With its tail still waving naughtily behind him, Ben growled with a grin, "What's wrong, Kev? Dont wanna play no more?"

Sweat beads ran down Kevin's temples as he gulped, his brown eyes on the huge green ones that looked back at him from top to toe in a dirty manner; first observing Kevin's sweating face, then the heaving chest sheathed in the light-blue coat signed 'Kev' and white full-sleeved shirt, then the waist and torso, to the long, strong legs wearing jeans.

Ben stepped forward once, cooing (if that is possible with the wolfish larynx Ben now had in his throat), "C'mon Kevin! I already know what you taste like on the _OUTside_; now I wanna know what you taste like...on the _INside_!"

Kevin's heart drummed and he went paler, as a large, red tongue slipped out the beast's mouth, licking it's own black lips.

Kevin knew what Ben meant. Ben wasn't being sexual; he was being carnivorous.

Stepping back slowly, Kevin spoke, his deep voice trembling a little, "Ben, I know you can hear me though you are not yourself right now; but please control the beast till I get some help!"

"Help?", Ben grinned wider, "You mean, _dessert_?! Wonderful! Lemme have the main course FIRST!"

And without warning, the beast leapt towards Kevin.

-End of chapter-

* * *

**_for those who have no idea what a Vulphorous is; pls dont try it on Wikipedia, coz i made tht word up and it doesnot exist in the original Ben Ten universe. and more details on that creature comes in the next chapter._**

**_so...OMG! whatz gonna happen to kevuhnh! _****_:)_**

**_Reviews and comments appreciated! mwah !_**


	4. Ben's first night as a Vulphorous

**_questions being answered, and more questions being asked...am ..i...making any sense?_**

**_no?_**

**_- shrug-_**

**_keep reading!_**

**_warning : this story contains 'boy loves boy' theme...(arent you tried of this?!)...so homophobes..get out. thank you._**

**_disclaimer: i do NOT own any of Ben ten alien force._**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_C_****_hapter four : Ben's first night as a Vulphorous_**

Kevin jumped sideways, thankfully avoided being chewed off by the jaws that were large enough to swallow his head in whole.

With his back pressed against the wall, he gasped in sick fear and revelation :

THIS was why Ben had been so desirous of meat; THIS had been why he hated garlic; THIS had been why the brunette had been SO horny.

Because he has turned in to a Vulphorous.

_"Damn! I should have guessed this before! And I could have done something to prevent Ben's first transformation...but now its too late!",_ he cursed to himself.

The rottenly deadly face of the beast turned to the raven with a mad grin, "You're playing hard-to-get! _I like that_..._!_"

Kevin realised that he was going to have to play 'duck-duck-goose' with this beast till he gets help from the only person he knew who would be able to handle this situation pretty darn well.

Max Tennyson.

Kevin stepped backwards, and took off from the bedroom in agility surprising for a boy his bulkiness. The wolfish Ben gave out an angry guffaw, "You can't hide from me, _Kev_! I can smell your delicious scent, and its freaking sexy!"

Kevin almost stumbled over a teapoy as he ran.

Listening to Ben speak dirty whilst trying to eat him sounded odd. If not for the last part, Kevin would have loved this.

"_Garlic, garlic, garlic...!Man, I gotta find some garlic!_" Kevin chanted in his mind as he raced towards his kitchen. Well, thank goodness his house was rather large and spacious with several rooms! He was able to lead Ben off his trail, for now!

The reason why Kevin needed garlic was simple. Garlic, or its fumes, messes with the Vulphorous' lungs; the chemical change that takes place when the beast's oddly adaptable blood mixes with the garlic's chemical molecules, is very irritable, and can render the beast confused and unable to attack.

And that was what Kevin needed to make Ben. Unable to attack.

Throwing open all the cabinets of his kitchen, Kevin frantically searched for garlic which, unfortunately, was _completely not there_; not even a clove. "Where's all the gar-" and then it struck him, "Fuck! Ben must have removed it all, before he transformed!"

Panting in fear again, Kevin told himself to calm down and think rationally. He made up his mind about what all that he had to do.

"First, I gotta call Max. Then we have to take Ben down without hurting him. But most importantly, I HAVE to stay alive to CALL Max!"

Feeling his cell phone snug in his tight-fitting jeans pocket, Kevin snuck out the kitchen, and ran; and just in time, Ben spotted him, "Aw! Where'reeeyoo goin! We haven't had our 'quality' time yet!"

Kevin huffed and his legs ached as he ran up the stairs down the stairs, around couches, across the stair beams, trying to get away from the beast twice his size, just so that he can let Max know about the disastrous condition his grandson was in.

Kevin reached the kitchen all over again, and this time, he was suddenly struck with a memory:

He remembered that he had stashed a few garlic bread pieces in the topmost cabinet. (Well, Kevin loved the ones Gwen made, and he wanted them although his pretty little boyfriend didn't!)

"_Thank you GWEN!_" Kevin spoke to himself, as he snatched the pieces off the cabinet just when Ben came into the kitchen cooing, "Surprise! Miss me?!"

"Stand _back_, Benji!" Kevin grabbed a large chunk of the garlic bread and aimed it towards the beast who visibly winced and drew back a little while Kevin continued, "I don't wanna hurt you, babe! And I know what effect this has on you, so DONT make me do it!"

"Gyaaaaarrgh!"Ben growled at the scent of the bread that quickly crept deeper into his sensitive nose. Kevin had another brainwave; he brushed the bread across his shirt and pants, so that Ben would find it difficult to approach him for a while. But the scent will soon wear off, so Kevin was going to have to be quick!

Taking the opportunity, Kevin slipped off the window of his house. He would have run off to the street and got his car, but he suddenly realised that this would put the people walking by,in danger; after all, Ben wanted Kevin, but he would not refrain from killing others too, at least not with the hunger boiling from inside Ben.

Kevin made up his mind quick, and slipped back into the house through the living room window, and scampered upstairs. Ben was blindly pummelling through the rooms trying to find Kevin by his scent which had become a nuisance thanks to the garlic, and furthermore it made his eyes water and hence his visibility was down a smidge.

Kevin hid himself in his bedroom closet. Crouched, knees folded up, he panted heavily, pulling out the phone from his pocket. He was about to dial Gwen's number, because Max stayed at Gwen's home at the moment, when he realised that by doing so, Ben could track him by the sound of his voice as he spoke to Max. So he ditched the idea of calling him, and instead he decided to send a text to Gwen.

...few minutes later...

Gwen and Julie were laughing over a joke the later just spewed, when there came a jingling beep from Gwen's phone.

"OH! " Gwen jumped, "It's a text...from Kevin!"

Julie watched in amusement as Gwen's face took several awkward expressions one by one; the poor anodite tried to decipher the meaning of the message.

"Uh...grandpa?" she spoke out, and Max turned to her pleasantly in answer, "Yes, Gwen?" Max was standing at the kitchen counter, fixing himself a snack. Both of Gwen's parents and her brother were out at a friend's wedding, and hence Max was in charge of looking after Gwen, and Julie, who came over for a girl's sleepover.

"There's this text from Kevin, and its written for _you_!"

"Me?" he asked, and received the phone from her and read the sms himself:

2 max,

Ben - vulphorous

First transfm complete 2nite.

HELP!

Max's eyes popped out in shock, and his face went pale.

"Obviously, I think he understood the text!" Gwen whispered into Julie's ear, who nodded in agreement.

Max got up, his face plastered with the greatest of severe graveness.

_God Lord in Heaven! Kevin won't last a moment if Ben has turned into a Vulphorous! I have to save him, or Ben is going to regret it!_

"Gwen!" he barked, "Get your manna ready! We're leaving for a very important task that needs us to be really fast!" and then he barked again, "Julie! I will shortly hand you a special cartridge; feed it to Ship, and have him transform into the weapon!"

"G-grandpa! What's wrong?! Whats a Vulphorous?!" Gwen got up, and the two girls watched the old but strong man, run into his room, and reappear within seconds, having donned his Plumbers uniform.

"A Vulphorous is an intergalactic werewolfish vampire!"

The two girls gawked in surprise.

"Mr. Tennyson..uh..what's _that_?" asked Julie pointing at a long heavy gun, and a bottle of what seemed like cooking spray, both held in the old man's hands.

"It's a net gun; and garlic spray! Now we have to go! Ben is in trouble, and Kevin is in greater danger!" he threw the small cartridge towards Julie, who caught it nimbly.

...meanwhile...

Kevin had nowhere to run now; he was caught from the closet, just after he had sent the text, and managed to trap the beast's upper body in the small confinement of the closet, whilst slipping off it cleverly. But now, there was nowhere to run, his heart was drumming heavily, his lungs were killing him, and his throat burnt. The raven stood in the middle of the living room, and watched as the beast approached him slowly in devious perverseness, "You know, you should be _punished_ for keeping me so long! You have _no_ idea how _hungry_ I am for you, Kev!"

Kevin staggered, the smell of garlic was long gone, so he had no defence against Ben.

"Ben! Listen to me! Hold back! Hold the virus back!"

"GYAAARH!" came Ben's angry growl, "SHUT UP!" and he lashed out a large blue arm, and smacked Kevin heavily on the head; throwing the teenager against the left wall, after which, he fell limp on the floor in a heap.

"Urrrrhhhh'', Kevin moaned as he sat up. He could feel something warm and wet trickle along his left temple and he raised his hand to the said spot. Lowering his hand to look at it, he felt damn queasy at what was smeared on his fingers. Blood; red, red blood.

The Vulphorous's eyes widened in lust. Blood; red, rich,tasty blood. _Kevin's_ blood.

Kevin gaped when shadows loomed over his head. He stood up, and his pupils contracted at the sight of the beast look down at him devilishly.

"No, Ben...please no!" his brown eyes stared up wide in terror at the large green pair, while great, glossy, ivory teeth grinned maliciously, a tongue flicking out to lick its black lips.

"Suppertime...!"

o.o.o

"So, you are saying that Ben is going to EAT Kevin?!" Gwen huffed as she, Julie and Max ran for the Levin house that they could see in view.

"Yes! Mainly because Kevin is Ben's love interest, the virus of the Vulphorous exaggerates the host's romantic feelings and sews it with his hunger for meat!" Max huffed back, trying to run as fast as he could; the house was looming closer and closer,...almost there...

"Wait, then where does the vampire-and-werewolf thing come in?!", Gwen asked, but a sudden masculine scream was heard from inside of the house that they finally reached, and Gwen's question was left unanswered.

"That sounded like Kevin!" Julie squeaked.

_Oh God! Are we too late?!_, gasped Max to himself.

Gwen tried to open the door, but it was locked. She turned to Max, who scowled at the doorknob as if trying to melt it with his glare.

"Stand back!" he bellowed, and the girls jumped to his either sides as his large experienced foot smashed itself on the door, which gave way in an instant. and let the three have a good look at the scene in the living room.

The sight within was terrible.

Absolutely terrible.

-End of Chapter-

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**_For those who think im being mean by just leaving it hanging there...srry but i luv doing that!_**

**_:3 heehee!_**

**_oh, and thats two chapters in one day! cewl!_**

**_pls review! (whilst ignoring any spelling mistakes i made, of course!)_**


	5. The Rescue

**_Another chapter! _**

**_Warning: this story contains themes of 'boy loves boy'. I think the homophobes know by now to LEAVE!_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Ben Ten or its affiliated characters._**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_Chapter five : The Rescue_**

The sight within was terrible.

_"That's Ben?!", _both the girls gasped to themselves_._

In the centre of the living room was the beastly Ben who held Kevin in his arms like a bride. Ben was kneeling on his left leg, and supported Kevin's upper body on his right leg's thigh. Ben's large clawed fingers held the raven on the waist and on the back; while his large jaws were clamped on Kevin's right shoulder. Ben was enjoying the amazing sensation of the beloved blood gushing from Kevin's shoulder and down into his alien oesophagus.

Since the Vulphorous' head was so huge, Kevin's face was not visible to the rescuers, but it was obvious from the fact Kevin was not moving, that he was unconscious. His arms hung limp on his either sides, smeared a little with his own blood.

The part of Kevin's right side that _could_ be seen, was also drenched in blood, which drizzled along his clothes in long sadistic streaks, some of it dripping on to the floor, and some making its way into Kevin's waist.

All the blood...and the scene of their friend being mauled by their other friend...it was too much for the two girls to tolerate. In the next moment, Gwen and Julie let out screams of shocked terror, which obviously caught Ben's attention. Ben's eyes had been closed as he savoured the red blood, and at the sound of the screams, the toxic jade orbs shot open.

The Vulphorous head slowly raised itself off of Kevin's shoulder. Now, Kevin's face was visible; he was deadly pale, his head hung backwards without support, his silken hair was spilling down beautifully by gravity, his eyes were closed. There was no sign of struggle on his face for it was calm though grave. On his left temple was a wound that trickled a thin line of blood on that side of his face, and this wound explained the blotch of blood smeared on the left wall of the room.

The part of his shoulder, which had been gripped by Ben's new sharp teeth, was a terror to behold. The whole right side of his upper body; pectoral muscle, shoulder, bicep and abdomen, was covered in the crimson liquid; frayed strands of flesh and cloth mingled in the butchered wound that ran like an inverted arc from his neck to his shoulder joint. The girls who has stopped their short scream, felt sick and queasy at the sight of what Ben had done to Kevin.

And the creature in question, Ben, looked at the three rescuers, as if being interrupted from some important task. The blue fur around his large mouth had gone dark in the soaked blood, and he grinned, his long incisors now an orange-ish red. His rough, red tongue lapped off the blood from his teeth and his lips, and he spoke, "Dessert so soon? But, I'm not done yet!" and the girls recoiled at the disgusting sentence that came in a gruff beastly voice.

Max had his eyes fixated on his grandson, his net-gun ready.

"But, ofcourse," Ben grinned again, "I _could_ do with a bite, and come back for Kev after!", he got up from his kneeling position after lowering his boyfriend on to the ground. Standing up in his full dangerous length, the girls shrank back a little, unable to believe what Ben has become. He crouched, ready to pounce on the spot, though the three rescuers were a little far off, because his legs were powerful enough to do so.

Panic struck the three but Max knew better.

He lashed out the large spray can of garlic,"NOT SO FAST,BEN!" and ...

_FSSHH!_

Ben let out an angry growl, "GYAAARGGHH!" in annoyance and irritation as the spray of garlic chemicals bit into his eyes, skin and mouth. He gripped his own face with his large hands in pain, growling repeatedly, staggering with the loss in balance. He sort of seemed like a pissed-off bear!

"JULIE!" Max barked, "AIM!", at which, Julie aimed the large Ship who was in the form of a sophisticated dart gun, on the beast who was still confused from the spray of garlic.

"FIRE!" and at the sound of the Tennyson Plumber, Julie used her superior target skills earned from her tennis practice, and shot Ben precisely on the stomach.

Another terrifying shriek and bellow followed as the sharp dart pierced Ben. The drug in the dart was powerful enough to penetrate the tough skin and render the beast unconscious, but it would take a few minutes for it to take effect, and the initial chemical reaction of the drug with the virus would make the Vulphorous go insane and uncontrollable.

Max knew about this.

And _that_ was where Gwen came in.

"GWEN!" Max shouted, "MANNA HIM DOWN!" and Gwen lashed out her arms at which her pretty pink manna zoomed out in long tendrils and tied Ben to the floor. With the struggling creature pinned onto the floor tightly, Max readied his weapon.

"God, he's _strong_!" Gwen hissed between clenched teeth as she tried to keep her manna from breaking while Ben repeatedly struggled within it. "Just a moment more, Gwen!" Max assured as he peered at Ben through the eyepiece of the gun's target system, aiming carefully.

TSHHHAP!

A large net with heavy ends flew towards Ben, resembling an octopus flying in for a large hug. Ben roared as the net encased him, and itself transformed in a metal cage-like structure resembling a buckminister fullerene, made of the strongest material. Ben struggled again, but the drug was starting to effect him, which made him more aggressive to fight himself out on the contraption.

Whilst Gwen and Max dealt with Ben by nearing him, Julie's brown eyes fell on the move-less osmosian. Julie looked over at the Tennysons, and then at Kevin. Seeing that the two would not need her help yet, she walked carefully towards the limp form. She sat back on her haunches and peered at the teenager. Her stomach quirked and she felt queasy to see the torn flesh and blood. She suspected the sight of even _bone_, but it was hard to tell because everything in that area of the body was red in colour.

"Oh God! Is he dead?" she whispered to herself. The reason why she thought so was because Kevin's face was waxy pale, and his chest was not heaving even in the slightest.

"Please don't be dead!" she whispered in grief, knowing that Ben would never be the same again if he was cured of his mutation and found that he himself had killed his only true love. Their love story was one she knew she would admire forever, and personally she did NOT want to see a tragedy as the ending.

She put out her hand carefully towards the left of his chest, in order to feel whether his heart was beating or not. Just before her fingers could touch the fabric of his shirt, there came a shout, "JULIE! DONT TOUCH HIM!" It was Max who shouted, and he ran towards her, pulling her to her feet by her shoulders.

Quite shocked at the sudden movement, she stared confusedly at the old face, who asked her impatiently in concern, "Did you touch him?"

"I..uh.." she blinked, not yet overcome by everything that was happening.

"DID you touch him, Julie?!"

"No!" she finally found her voice, "No, I didn't. I was about to check for his pulse! Is it bad if I touch him?"

Max sighed in relief, and looked gravely at the body near his feet, "Yes, it's _very _bad if you touch him. He's soaked all over with the Vulphorous virus that came from Ben's drool. Since tonight is the full moon, the virus will be active outside Ben's body. Only a single touch is enough for it to affect you. And then you will turn into a Vulphorous as well."

Julie's eyes widened as she looked from the man's face and then down at Kevin's, "That means...Kevin is gonna turn into a Vulphorous too?!"

"No; he _would_, had he been conscious. But we need to decontaminate him before virus has enough time to bind to his DNA."

Julie blinked at him, and he noticed that the concept was a little confusing. "I'll properly explain everything to you and Gwen, later, ok?" and she nodded in reply.

"Grandpa!", came Gwen's eager shout, "Ben has passed out now!"

"Good, now that _that's_ done, we have to call for the special vehicle I had built with the Plumber Kids, to escort Ben and Kevin out of here, and to the Secret Plumbers Base for treatment."

Then Julie put forward a sudden thought that struck her, "But, Mr. Tennyson; if simply _touching_ Kevin can pass us the virus in Ben's drool, how can we _carry_ him into the vehicle?!"

Max pondered silently, "You're right, Julie; I absolutely forgot about that detail."

"Uh... Grandpa, my manna cannot be infected", spoke Gwen, "So, I can carry him in the vehicle and to the Base."

Max smiled in reply, "Good girl. And thanks, both of you."

Max looked down at the limp body of Kevin. And then at the unconscious form of the beast who was his grandson.

Sighing deeply, he thought, "_Things are gonna get UGLY._"

- End of Chapter-

* * *

**_Yup. Ugly. And I was kinda like 'O.o' when I felt that this chapter has got a lot of Kevin's blood all over it; but then I consoled myself saying...worse is coming in the next chapters._**

**_:) happy reviewing!_**


	6. I, I feel like a Monster!

**_hello! this chapters getting a bit serious!_**

**_warning : boyxboy/yaoi/gays; homophobes proceed at your own risk_**

**_disclaimer: i donot own any of the ben ten characters (sigh)_**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_Chapter six : I,I Feel Like A Monster!_**

Grandpa Max, Gwen, Julie and the Plumber Kids sat dumb in the lounge of the Secret Plumbers Base. All of them had their faces pale and sickly.

Ahead of them, were a row of doors, one of which was the Operation Theatre and within it Kevin was being decontaminated. It was a disastrous work; Kevin was undergoing what is called as the Decontamination Process.

Kevin got back his consciousness when he was about to be operated on, and that was the great problem. That is; the doctors were going to neutralize the virus that had travelled into his blood, and that would require serious poking and prodding, and the use of torturously painful chemicals and medicines. The problem was that Kevin could _not_ be given anaesthetic because it fiddles with the Decontamination Process, slowing it down and even inhibiting it's effect. Hence, the doctors had no choice but to let Kevin bear the excruciating pain.

As some of the doctors handled his torn shoulder professionally, while some gave him shots, Kevin could not bear the pain. His screams tore through the whole -5th floor of the Secret Underground Plumbers Base. His masculine growls of pain bellowed over and over again, ringing in the ears of his near and dear ones.

Hence the sickly faces of Grandpa Max, Gwen, Julie and the Plumber Kids. They were the only ones there.

And add fat to fire; Ben, who was still in his Vulphorous form, was roaring as well. He was in the same lounge too, moved into a transparent glass cage made of the toughest fibre glass. Within it, the enraged creature bellowed and hit the walls; bouncing and jumping within it like a super ball. He had had a taste of Kevin's blood and he was hellishly hungry for more.

The Plumber kids were almost going deaf at the thunderous roars of Kevin in pain, and Ben in anguish. Every now and then, one of them would turn to look at the Vulphorous, and then look away, unable to stand the sight of the furious creature, without shuddering.

Gwen and Julie visibly shivered, holding each other's hands, fearing that Ben would tear open the cage and finish them all. Manny and Helen exchanged fearful glances. Alan sat dumbstruck with everything around him. Cooper stared ahead of him as if he was a statue. And Pierce was going pale despite his deeply tanned face. Max was the only one in the room who sat calm, his face ashen in grave concentration.

_Why didn't Kevin use the Plumbers Badge to signal at the Plumbers Agency for help?_

He thought a little more and suddenly it struck the experienced man.

Max knew that the word 'Vulphorous' is voice-tagged on the Badge's transmission connection; hence even the _mention_ of the word will automatically signal the Agency a quarantine alert; to come running to the house even without consultation, because a Vulphorous virus is that dangerous. And the Plumbers team will not bother to know who the host of the Vulphorous is; they will immediately put the victim in paralysis, following which would be serious med tests and greater problems of bailing Ben out, because there was no available cure for this virus.

Max's face darkened when he realised something: ..._Kevin didn't signal through the badge, because he knew it was voice-alerted. He was protecting Ben! He let himself be mauled rather than have Ben quarantined and stashed away!_

Max has never been so proud of Kevin.

More screams and cries followed; Kevin was strong, his osmosian blood and flesh helped the doctors, but it made it impossible for him to faint quick, and the pain was still unbearable. And half of what Ben was screaming was not just for freedom from his cage, but also for freedom from the horrible pained cries of his love. The Vulphorous roared and roared, but not anyone moved a muscle; they were asked to stay that way. Besides, they were all inwardly terrified.

Max's eyes fell on the several screens on the wall that showed footage from the security cameras outside. As mentioned before, the Secret Plumbers Base was located underground, and there were all in the fifth floor below the ground.

The screens showed beautiful red, crimson, purple and orange streaks running across the sky. A small mound of white-hot yellow was rising from the horizon.

"The sun is rising", he told himself quietly, "The full moon night is over."

That was when everyone noticed the change in the Vulphorous' voice as it screamed. Every face turned to the glass cage, within which, Ben stood, his huge form wavering, growling harder in pain, gripping his head as he transformed again. He was growing smaller, slimmer; his blue fur was disappearing to show his lightly tan skin; his hair was going chocolate brown; his eyes were growing smaller too; his tail disappeared, his claws disappeared, so did his carnivorous teeth. What was left was the slim, beautiful Ben, clothed in nothing but his torn pants that now looked like skimpy shorts with torn edges. He stared horrified at his hand that were coated in Kevin's blood, as was the corner of his mouth, a bit of his cheek, and bit of his neck. Tears ran rivers down his face as he heard the tortured screams of his beloved, even through the glass cage. He held his head, "_What have I done?!"_ he ran to the wall of his cage and banged on the them, smearing the blood there as well, screaming in the loudest he could, "_Lemme out! Make him stop! Make him stop_!" he could not bear to hear Kevin roar like that, it tore his heart into shreds upon shreds.

"_Make him STOP! MAKE HIM STOP!_" his sharp screams joined Kevin's heavy cries.

Everyone in the room stood up to see Ben in his human form; hands, neck and mouth stained in red. He looked like a deranged murderer crying for help.

"Ben!" Gwen's eyes brimmed in tears, as she held on to Julie, who went pale in the face too.

Pierce stared at the weeping youth in the cage, and then payed attention to the shouts of the osmosian.

Like Max, the deeply tanned face frowned in realisation_. Kevin purposefully didn't contact the Plumbers Agency through the badge, didn't he? If he had, help would have been on its way in a second; and he wouldn't have to bear all the pain of going through the Decontamination Process. But he knew that they would quarantine Ben...and he sacrificed himself to prevent it. Kevin is one strong man...And he did it for Ben._

More cries filled the air.

"_Please...make him stop..."_ Ben groaned, sobs choking his strength, his knees were going weak, his stomach hurt; there was the rustic taste of Kevin's blood in his tongue and _he hated that he loved it_.

Almost as if Ben's prayers were answered, Kevin gave out a great heave in his shrieks, resembling a great gasp, before everything went silent as his groans went lighter and finally faded away.

Stark silence followed.

Silence was now more painful to bear than the roars.

"Nobody move, please", came the sound of a female; and from another room, a nurse stepped out. She was tall and raven-haired, dressed in white, with blue eyes that looked at them calmly. She held a white suit in one hand and was pushing a trolley loaded with odd syringes and chemicals, with the other.

When they all looked a little terrified at the syringes, she smiled gently, "It's alright; I'm not going to kill the victim. I merely need to sterilise his body, so that you can comfort him with your presence. Every bit of liquid in his body; saliva, sweat and tears, that is currently coating him, are all infected with the virus and can pass on to any who touches him. But since the full moon night is over, his human form will not carry any potent Vulphorous viruses that can transmit to you. It's only his teeth that has to be worried about," and as she spoke, she donned the protective suit, that looked like the ones scientists wear when they are about the enter a bio-hazardous room.

She pushed the trolley near the cage, within which Ben lay semi-conscious mumbling Kevin's name and 'sorry's to go with it. Taking out a laser key, she tapped certain areas of the cage and it opened. Quickly she slipped in, and closed the slide door. She was an anodite too, which was understood when she raised Ben with pinkish purple manna and lowered him onto the trolley that suddenly grew in length to a full cot. Laying Ben on it, she looked at the people staring intently at her and her patient. She smiled from within her suit, "I'm sorry, but I shall have to pull the drapes now." And out of nowhere, she pulled a string that had not been noticed in the cage, and curtains of mint green fell all around the cage from the inside, blocking view of Ben and the nurse.

After maybe fifteen minutes, the curtains were drawn and she pushed the long trolley with Ben still on it, out of the cage and into the room she came from.

After another fifteen minutes, the nurse escorted Ben out who walked with weak legs, she was holding him supportively by the shoulders. She had draped warm shawl around his naked upper body, and led him towards Max.

"Thank you, Nurse Viola; I shall take it from here", thanked Max, getting up. Nurse Viola nodded, and walked back into her room.

"Grandpa...I'm _so sorry_...!" Ben sobbed, falling into the large arms of the Plumber, who embraced him warmly, "There, there, Ben..."

He sat down in his seat, with Ben on his lap; the brunette's face buried in the large shoulders, sobbing for all he was worth, "I _felt_ it Grandpa...the _fury_, the _hunger;_...it was horrible; ...and ...and I could SEE what I was doing...I was hitting Kevin,..I was saying horrible things I didn't mean...I _bit_ him...I couldn't stop myself though I tried so hard...I _hate_ myself, Grandpa...I _hate_ myself for hurting him..."

Max sighed, stroking the smooth, brown hair on the small head, "It's alright Ben, it's not your fault."

Ben raised himself off the grandfather, and wiped his eyes. A tissue was handed to him and he blew into it, and asked for another.

Soon, he was sitting miserably beside Max, leaning his weak body against the large man who had his arm around his beautiful, petite grandson. "Ben, don't cry; bear it strongly. You are a man now."

"No grandpa. I'm not a man. I'm a MONSTER. I _feel_ like a monster!", sobs were coming again, his eyes tearing, and overflowing, "Kevin will _never_ forgive me for this..." at which Max shushed him, "Kevin did this because he loves you; he would never bear this as a grudge against you. His quick thinking saved you from paralysis and isolation treatment, Ben."

Green eyes sparkling in regretful tears looked up at the older man, "His thinking?...Paralysis..?"

Max calmly explained about how Kevin, instead of using the badge, used a mere SMS to call for help, just so that he could save Ben.

Instead of feeling better, he sobbed harder into his palms, "I'm the worst boy friend ever! He loves me so much that he...and I ..."

Max sighed in reply, "Sweet heart, please; don't stress your body, it has already gone through a lot during the full moon night; regret and guilt will only make you weaker. Do you want Kevin to see you all broken and miserable when he wakes up after the Process?"

"I doubt if he _ever will_ wake up after what _I've done to him...!_" and Ben's sobbed again, blowing into the tissue, "And if he does live; _I doubt he will want to even LOOK at me!_"

Max sighed again. Although Ben's pessimism was irritable, the elderly Tennyson could understand why it was so, for true love like this only hurts worst if ever hurt. Max stroked the brunette head again, pressing a soft kiss atop it.

That was when his eyes fell on Ben's left hand wrist, where there was a thin band of fairer skin instead of the Omnitrix.

"Ben, where's the Omnitrix?" Max asked, and Ben sat up, wiping his eyes, and swiping at his red nose, "...I think it snapped off when I transformed, I think it was too small for the large hand I was growing."

"Which room were you in, when you transformed?" he asked next.

"Kevin's bedroom", and his heart stung when he remembered that they were about the make love, and it ended up in..._this_.

All because Ben hid the bite-wound from Kevin.

Ben had _never_ hated himself this much in his life!

Max looked over to his side, where the girls were peering at Ben in concern and grief. "Ben, I think the girls want to be with you now."

Max got up and immediately the girls came over to Ben's either side, cuddling him warmly; stroking and hugging him to let him know that no one in this room feared him for what he was, or what he had become; and that they all loved him.

Max walked over to the mute Plumber Kids.

"Pierce, Manny, Helen, Alan and Cooper. I need you all to go get suited up and fly over to the Levin house. I want the house sanitised and sterilised from top to bottom. And..." he walked over to his bag of weapons, rummaging through them, and finally pulled out a transparent box with green LED lights for a switch, "And bring the Omnitrix in this box; you will find it in Kevin's bedroom."

The Kids stood up, and saluted, "Yes, sir!"

"And you all remember the standard protection procedures?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. I suppose the training in special alien-situation-handling, came in handy. Now go!"

Pierce being the leader of the group nodded, and turned to Ben who sat like an adorable little kitten between the two girls; the tanned Plumber Kid spoke, "We are sorry for what has happened to Kevin, and we hope that Kevin gets well. He has done a deed that not many know to be how heroic." The Kids looked at each other, and then smiled consolingly at Ben, who smiled at them in a weak attempt, "Thanks guys..."

Nodding again at Ben, Pierce turned to Max, "Shall we be off, sir?"

"Yes, go on."

And the team swiftly left the lounge.

After a few minutes, the door of the Operation Theatre opened, and the remnant heroes (Max, Ben, Gwen, Julie) in the room held their breaths. Out stepped a doctor. He was young and handsome with a fair complexion, and sandy golden-brown hair. His blue eyes shone kindly and gently behind frameless glasses. That was the good part. But the rest of him made him look a butcher. His doctor's coat was splattered in blood; his collar seemed as if gripped by someone with bloody hands, which was actually Kevin who had to grip on to the doctor to bear the pain. Blotches of red stained a little of the man's cheeks, and tiny droplets were splattered diagonally across his glasses. His surgeon's disposable gloves were going orange in soaked blood.

Ben whimpered at the sight of the man; his hands, each held by each girl, tightened into the fingers holding them.

The surgeon smiled gently at the teenagers who got up unanimously, and then turned to Max; all of them looked at the doctor expectantly.

"Please do not look so lost; Kevin Ethan Levin is absolutely fine; sterilised and decontaminated. You all may approach him only when I say so, for he is still healing, and he needs a few trips to the Cell Accelerator to regrow his skin cells."

Ben almost fainted for the relief, and he went limp, his head falling back, supported by the two female shoulders. Gwen and Julie squeaked a little as he slipped lower, and quickly set him back into their seat.

Max breathed in relief too, running his hands over his greying hair.

The doctor smiled again, "Please excuse me for a few moments, then I need a word with Ben Tennyson."

And he retreated into his office which was only a few doors away. Written on the door was the plaque "Dr. Philip Sands"

Max sighed, "Well, I should have known not to worry; it's Dr. Sands after all; and there is _no one_ like him when it comes to near death miracles!"

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_wow! that was emo ! ben all sobby and girly! and kevin all screamy! :P_**

**_Yeah; I suddenly got the "I feel like a monster" line from Skillet's song Monster! Oddly, it fits Ben's situation perfectly! The idea just came to me while I was typing, it was spontaneous that is !_**

**_There is a sped up version on youtube; a fan-made video called 'Black Butler / Kuroshitsuji ~ Monster', made by BlueMoonKingdom; and I must say I luv the song in this fast pace rather than the song's original slow pace!_**

**_pls review! positively tht is!_**


	7. Now I know What I am

**_Woah, man this chapter is detailed! :3_**

**_warning: conmtains boyxboy = boy luvs boy; u have been warned!_**

**_disclaimer: i do not own ben ten or its affiliated characters_**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_Chapter seven : Now I know what I am_**

There was silence in the room again.

Max pondered about Ben's situation, and then he suddenly realised that he had forgotten an important detail.

"Ben", he turned to his grandson who sat amidst the winding arms of the girls, "When were you bit by the Vulphorous?"

Ben looked weakly at him, trying to remember, "A few days before Kevin came back from his mission.."

"Where were you when you were bitten? I mean, what place in Bellwood?"

"The park.."

Max's face turned serious. If a Vulphorous was present on Earth, it was going to put more people in danger.

"Ben, Gwen and Julie; I'm going off to fetch a few of my Plumber friends to conduct a search around the whole of Bellwood for Vulphori. I will come back every now and then to check up on you, alright?"

"Yes, Grandpa, and we'll take care of Ben meantime", Gwen assured him.

Nodding at the teenagers, the old man quickly left the room as well.

The trio sat there; the girls comforting Ben. Maybe a few minutes later, a slim and beautiful, female doctor stepped out from the Operation Theatre, also streaked in blood like Doctor Sands was. The blonde lady looked at the three with her pearly grey eyes, and smiled gently, before retreating into Doctor Sands' office.

Several minutes later, she stepped out, and spoke, "Ben Tennyson; the doctor would like to see you now."

Ben got up, a weird dread forming in his stomach, and he looked at the girls, who looked back at him with a encouraging smile.

Taking a deep breath with his tired lungs, he was led by the blonde doctor into the office.

The whole room was glowing in white as usually it is the case in the offices of doctors. Charts and schedules neatly aligned on some walls; sophisticated tools were kept away in another room. Ahead of Ben, was the white desk, at which sat Doctor Sands, his face was calm and composed, the same enigmatic smile on his thin lips, blue eyes shining serene.

"Please sit down, Ben", he gestured to the seat.

Ben sat in a little wobbly manner on the seat and gazed at the man across the desk. The doctor placed his elbows on the table, and rested his chin on his laced fingers, "I am Doctor Phillip Sands. And I want you to feel comfortable as I speak to you, alright?"

Ben nodded obediently.

"Ben, do you know what you have turned into?" his voice was so gentle and smooth that Ben felt relaxed and unaccused.

"Uh,...a Vulphorous as I heard...?"

"Yes, a Vulphorous. But do you know anything about how it lives, or how you turned into one?"

"N-no..."

Ben's face was going pale as guilty thoughts flit across his injured mind. The doctor looked at him and smiled, "I know what you're thinking right now."

Ben looked up in surprise, "Y-you do?"

"Yes; you are blaming yourself for not having expected such a backfire when you ignored the Vulphorous who bit you."

Ben gaped a little, and held back the urge to tear up again. He hung his head a little, "Yeah, that _was_ _exactly_ what I was thinking."

"Don't blame yourself, Ben; it is not your fault for having ignored the Vulphorous, because you didn't know about it in the first place."

Ben bit his lips, his green eyes fearfully fixed on the blue pair.

"Its alright Ben, you do not have to feel scared here; I'm not here to blame you, or scold you; I just want you to pay close attention to me. I am going to tell you all there is to know about Vulphori, so that you will be able to prevent worse consequences in the future, alright?"

Ben looked interested as he nodded in agreement.

"Alright then. A vulphorous, in today's slang, can be called an intergalactic werewolfish vampire. But there are differences between a Vulphorous, and the two fictional creatures, which I will shortly tell you. But first, you should know; the existence of Vulphori goes back in ages, they are extremely adaptable to any sort of environment, and any sort of atmosphere which means they can live on any planet in any solar system. This adaptable quality is in it's blood and lungs, but it makes it weak to the chemicals in garlic alone. I suppose you have experienced serious hatred for garlic since you were bitten?"

Ben nodded.

"Yes. Well, several centuries ago, Vulphori were restricted to their own planet, and finally just like how animals evolve on Earth, Vulphori evolved too, and that was how they acquired their superior adaptable skills; though it must be noted that even before this evolution, Vulphori hated garlic. Moving on...Vulphori carry the Vulphorous Virus which was not very potent, but since the evolution started, whatever creature was bitten by the Vulphorous was remarkably transformed into a Vulphorous as well. That is, if the Vulphorous' prey manages to escape after being bitten, it can change into a full fledged Vulphorous too; multiplying its population like asexual reproduction almost. From then on, the Vulphorous Virus transmitted itself from planet to planet, till the original species no longer exits but it's transmitted versions live on in the dark; not many know about this dangerous creature because it is miraculously rare despite it's communicable manner of passing on. And that is the history of the creature. Now, I want you to pay very close attention as I speak about HOW a victim turns into a Vulphorous, for there are rules and proper timings for it.

Alright, when a person, or creature, is bitten by a Vulphorous, the virus travels around in the blood and plants itself in the victim's body. Like a werewolf bite, the victim will only transform into a full Vulphorous on the first full moon night following the day he was bitten. In your case, it was last night. We call it the First Transformation; that is, the first time the victim transforms. Once a person is bitten, he will start to show signs or symptoms before the First Transformation night; like severe attraction to meat, and hatred for garlic. Let me tell you what is the major difference between a werewolf and a Vulphorous; a victim bitten by a werewolf will only transform into the creature on the full moon night of every month, is it not? But for a Vulphorous, it is not the case. A victim bitten by a Vulphorous can transform into a Half Vulphorous, _any time of any day_; only, a Half Vulphorous is only _half_ the strength and aggressiveness of the full fledged Vulphorous that he turns into every full moon night. That is, between two consecutive full moon nights, you can turn into a Half Vulphorous _any_ time, which though only half the power, still carries the potent virus in the liquids of its body and can infect another person. BUT, it is only under certain circumstances that you will turn into a Half; like smelling meat, or tasting meat, or seeing the colour red, and most importantly, being sexually aroused; all these acts can arouse the virus to activate and transform you into a Half, any time of the day. It can be avoided by taking necessary precautions to avoid turning into a Half, but turning into a full Vulphorous is unchangeable on a full moon night. Alright? So it is like a werewolf; but only, it can transform partially, any time of the year, depending on what is activating the virus inside of you. Also, another important difference between a Vulphorous and a werewolf, is the consciousness. When a person is a werewolf, he or she has no idea what they do, whom they attack, or what they have said; but when you are a Vulphorous in full or half form, you are aware of what you do, am I correct? "

Ben gaped, "Yes, Doctor!" his eyes went wide as he remembered his panic at that time, and spoke, "It was horrible; I could see I was hurting Kevin but no matter what I told myself, or no matter how hard I tried, I could not make myself move away from him. It's like I was controlling a robot that suddenly has started thinking for itself, and no matter how I pull at the controls, it doesn't stop what it's doing..!"

"Aptly described, Ben! Yes, it IS like controlling a robot who thinks for itself, and is against you; which is why, in the human history, the people who have been affected by this virus, have all fallen into depression of guilt and some even of the horrible feeling of being controlled and manipulated. But unfortunately, the Vulphorous will do anything it can to get its objective aim; food.

Now, I shall tell you how it is like a vampire. Of course, the cross, and wooden stake had no effect whatsoever on a Vulphorous. But it thirsts for blood, and also flesh, but importantly blood. And I _must_ emphasise this : the Vulphorous feeds according to the _sexual attractions of the victim_. A vampire needs blood, but it can be from any source; however, a Vulphorous is a little picky and choosy with a difference. In order for you to understand this better, let me put forward a very simple situation for you, Ben. Suppose you have been hungry for five days; you have had no food, not a morsel; you are so very hungry that it is unbearable. And I present to you only two plates; one plate in which is your _most favourite_ hamburger, decorated with your _favourite_ dressings. And on the other plate, is a very simple cheese sandwich, which you are alright with. If I presented both to you in that very hungry state you are in, which plate would you choose?"

Ben paused, "The hamburger of course!"

"Exactly! Why? Because even though you're hungry, you will be blind to the sandwich due to the fact that hamburger is your primary favourite and it is your preference since it's available. Suppose, in this same situation, that is you are hungry since five days , and I present to you only ONE plate; the one having the simple sandwich, what would you choose?"

"There's nothing to choose, right? There's only one plate, and I'm hungry, so I _have _to eat the sandwich."

"Precisely! Since no other option is available, you choose the only one, because you are in dire need of satisfying your hunger. A Vulphorous works the same way; when a victim is infected, the virus holds on to the victim's sexual attraction, in your case, Kevin, and makes him your first preference as food. Which means, that even if Kevin stands amidst a sea of fat people, you will be blind to them all, and will attack only Kevin. But if Kevin is unavailable, the Vulphorous in you will have to make do with the people around you. That is the difference between a vampire and a Vulphorous; a vampire _needs blood_; a Vulphorous _needs the victim's sexual attraction_, _for flesh or blood_; any other person will satisfy the hunger only for a temporary period of time. But once the victim has killed his or her sexual attraction, the Vulphorous will slowly starve to death, unless there are a number of people that the victim was in love with. So, now it's understood why Vulphori are rare despite their comnnunicable virus? Because once they exhaust their source of food (their sexual attraction or copulation mate) the Vulphorous has no option but to starve, for nothing else will be suffice than the mate, as is in most cases; like your's. Do you understand everything I have spoken till now?"

Ben gazed at the table, and then looked back up at the blue eyes, slowly nodding, "Yeah, I get it all now."

"Good, now I must tell you, now that you're a Vulphorous, and also finished your First Transformation, you have to be very careful around Kevin, lest you transform into a Half Vulphorous."

Ben's face fell, "So, I can't touch him? Or anyone? Do I have to be locked up, 'cause I carry the virus?"

Doctor Sands smiled gently at him, "No, you see, the virus needs time to bond with your DNA, that is why it needs to wait till the full moon night to transform for the first time; and the reason why it is a full moon is due to astrological reasons where the virus is activated as per the gravitational pull of the moon when it is in full visibility from the Earth. What I am implying is that, it is only when you are a Half Vulphorous, or a Full Vulphorous, that your touch and the body liquids, like sweat, saliva, tears etc, coming off your body, is fatally loaded in virus. In your human form, the virus is dormant, and only can infect others through your teeth and gums. So, in your human form, you can interact with your friends and family; and Kevin too; but provided, you do not kiss him on the mouth or anywhere for that matter. Your mouth is the only weapon the virus can use to infect anyone."

"Oh..."

"However, to help you control the level of activation of the Half Vulphorous, you will need to take regular doses of certain medicines I will prescribe shortly. But that will not hold you down on full moon nights unfortunately."

Ben could feel a heavy iron slab weigh down his stomach, "Is...is there no cure for this..?"

Doctor Sands sighed softly, "Actually, it is hard to tell. The cure is even rarer than the virus, and those who have made it are possibly dead by now. Not to mention, if anyone in the present time has even made the antidote, coveting even a drop of the antidote will require immense payment to the donor. But either way; it will not be easy, Ben. You see; had you informed us about the bite you sustained, and suppose we found the antidote as well, we could have easily cured you in a procedure less painful. But since you're First Transformation is complete, the virus has bound well to your DNA, it would be a tougher task to separate it from you. The more number of transformations you undergo, the more impossible it is to cure you. I am sorry, Ben. Finding the cure is not my expertise; but I assure you, shall you in any way find the antidote, I will do everything in my power of the knowledge I have, to cure you from this virus."

Ben hung his head a little to say, "Thank you." And Doctor Sands gave Ben a few moments to think, after which the brunette spoke, "Will Kevin be ok?"

"Absolutely; his osmosian blood is very strong, and his healing one fourth faster. He only needs a few more rounds under the Cell Accelator, which is a CT-Scan-like device that speeds up the rate of repairing cells from few days to a few moments. You have nothing to worry about."

Ben looked away, his mind wandering, "So, I will never get to sleep with Kevin ever again..." but his mumbling though faint, reached the expert ears of the doctor, who smiled "Yes, unfortunately, you will not, Ben."

Ben looked up in surprise that his thought had been voiced, and he blushed visibly. His lower lip trembled a little as his voice came soft and low, his head hung, "The last time we slept together was weeks ago..."

"Why so?" Doctor Sands asked, not in that irritable nosy manner, but in a way a counsellor does; soft and gentle.

"Because, Kevin had been out of Earth for a solo mission for two weeks..." a tear rolled out the emerald eyes, "And after he came back and I never told him I was bit by a blue wolf...and every time we tried to get in bed, one or the other thing would stop us; sometimes trivial things, sometimes important things, and we postponed and postponed and...now its too late..." Ben's face had the cold expression of regret, his eyes showed deep grief, "I feel cursed."

"You are actually a blessed couple."

"Huh?!"

Doctor Sands replied with a smart smile, "Luck was on your side, Ben, that the two of you were unable to copulate; because had you let Kevin's repoductory organ into your body, the virus would have easily slipped into Kevin. And Kevin would never survive a Decontamination Process if he had the virus in his reproductory system; a process like that will definitely kill Kevin, considering how dependant and corrosive the virus is on sexual hormones and sexual organs of the victim's target."

Ben gaped, his eyes wide; and Doctor Sands leaned over to the tissue box, plucking out a dove-white tissue which he handed to Ben. Ben wiped off his tears, "So, it was a good thing?"

"Yes, Ben. The unseen force that kept the two of you apart, was the Hand of Fate; fate is not always cruel; it may seem harsh at first, but it only after the worst storm that you see a rainbow, is it not? And do not decay your insides with guilt of what has happened, for we cannot change the past. But. instead, carefully think about the acts of the present whose ill consequences we can avoid in the future."

Ben looked at the man; respect and gratitude spread all across his tired face, "Th-thank you Doctor Sands, for telling all about this."

"It is the duty of every doctor to let his patients know in detail about what their ailment is", he smiled, a lovely glint in his warm blue eyes, "If there is ever anything you want to ask me about Vulphori, or anything in particular about aliens even, please do not refrain from asking me."

Taking his notepad, he scribbled, while speaking, "I am, here, prescribing you the medicines and shots you must take regularly in order for you to control the activation of the Half."

The door of the office opened a little, and the blonde female doctor put her head in a little, "Doctor Sands?"

"Ah, yes; come in, Stacy", and the woman stepped in, and stood obediently beside the seated doctor.

"This is my assistant Doctor Stacy McRoy", the man introduced the woman to Ben, "Doctor Stacy will soon come to you with a pamphlet describing all the necessary precautions you have to take in order to prevent activation of Half, alright?"

"Yes, doctor", Ben nodded.

"Stacy, would you please escort Ben to one of the dressing rooms and have him wear a pair of pants? A shirt, however, is not necessary; his body is dissipating a lot of heat, hence the shawl may only be required."

It was only then that Ben looked down at himself and noticed that his jeans had turned into torn-edged shorts.

Doctor Stacy looked warmly at him, and spoke, "Please come", and Ben got up, before asking the man, "Uh, doctor, when can I see Kevin?"

Doctor Sands looked up at Ben's expectant, needy eyes, "In half an hour. Doctor Stacy will confirm about the right time with you after making sure Kevin is able to meet visitors."

"Thank you again, doctor", Ben smiled in a long while, and just before he left, Doctor Sands called out, "And do pass the information about Vulphori to your cousin and friend! After all, they have to help you overcome the Half, as well!"

Ben, smiled again, "I will."

Doctor Sands nodded gracefully, and Doctor Stacy led Ben out of the office. Outside, Gwen and Julie looked at him in concern, but he smiled at them saying, "I'm just gonna get rid of this crap and get a pair of pants, ok? Then, I have a lot to tell you girls about what I am."

The girls exchanged glances; they noticed that Ben looked calmer, though still ill and weak, than what he had before he entered the office.

They watched the lady lead Ben towards another room.

- End of Chapter -

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**_(in Doctor Sands' voice) "Does anyone have any doubts about Vulphori?"... if yes, then pls PM me! id be happy to clear em!_**

**_oh and for the record; the whole vulphorous thing is completely my idea; theres nothing like that in the original Man of Action's series, so dont come complaining to me! :3_**

**_i cant believe that this concept which i made two years ago, has still stayed with me till today! :P_**

**_kevin x ben rocks! (especially Kevin)_**


	8. Kevin has the answer

**_ooh! chapter 8 up finally after a long tym! :)_**

**_warning : this story contains boyxboy. please be warned (hence the word 'warning'. like duh.)_**

**_disclaimer : i donot own ben ten alen force or its affiliated characters _**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_Chapter eight : Kevin has the answer_**

Ben was reciting, to Gwen and Julie, all of which Doctor Sands told him in full detail. The two girls listened intently with wide eyes and open mouths, leaning towards him in interest.

And when was finally done, he sat back in his chair, sighing deeply.

"Oh, how horrible...", Julie felt sad, "Your love life is ruined!"

"_Love life?!_" Ben snapped, sitting up and seizing Julie by her shoulders as if to make her see the point, for he was too weak to say it louder than normal, "I can't even _kiss_ him! I am afraid to go near him in case I might suddenly say '_you look tasty, Kev!_' and pounce on him...!"

Julie looked sadly into the green eyes. "I'm sorry, Ben, but that's what I actually meant; that you can't be with him, without worrying constantly!"

Ben sighed again, his head falling forward on her shoulder, "I didn't mean to get angry, Julie; I was just..."

Julie stroked the back that was covered with the shawl, and spoke gently, "It's Ok; we don't want to put more worries in your mind; forget about it!"

Gwen smiled at the two, "You know, half an hour's about to get over in five minutes."

Ben sat up, his eyes twinkling, heart drumming almost immediately.

_The doctor said that I could see Kevin in half an hour..._

After a bit of talking, five minutes passed, and Doctor Stacy appeared from Doctor Sand's office and smiled, gesturing towards the Operation Theatre, "You may go in, and meet Kevin Levin, now."

Ben got up ever so slowly, as if in a daze, fear creeping inside of him. He turned to look at his two female friends, who nudged him to keep walking. Accompanying Doctor Stacy, Ben walked into the Operation Theatre in dread, but found it empty.

There was no bloody, gory messes there at all; the now empty bed which Kevin had previously occupied during the operation was surrounded by the operative tools and machines like any other hospital, only difference being that some of the machines were alien, and looked ready for a new patient.

Ben turned to Doctor Stacy who gestured to another room within this room; one named, "Special Ward". She smiled calmly, stating, "Kevin is best near the Theatre for precautionary measures, which is why we moved him into this room right here." She looked at the hesitation on his face and asked gently, "Do you want me to accompany you?"

"N-NO!" he spat first, and then spoke more politely, "Sorry, I mean, thank you, I'll manage from here", he drew his shawl tighter around himself, and smiled apologetically at the nice lady. Doctor Stacy nodded politely in return and walked out of the Operation Theatre.

Approaching the door of the Special Ward, Ben's pulse was in a rampage.

_What will Kevin say when he sees me?! To get out? That he hates me? Why did I do this to him?..._ but another side of him told him that no, Kevin would never say anything like that, but the best way to find out is to walk into the room.

Slowly, Ben pushed open the door a bit, and put half his body in, peering in.

Kevin was on a bed of course, but he was not lying down; he was in a sitting position, but reclining back into the large, soft pillows. His legs disappeared under a white blanket that covered him up to his waist. His upper body was shirtless; his shoulder bandaged heavily, the bandages running around and across his chest. His right hand was bandaged from the shoulder to elbow, and propped in a sling. There were Band-Aids on his muscular abdomen, where the Vulphorous' claws had dug and bruised while handling him. A few transparent tubes ran from his wrist, to a glucose bottle on a stand, just like any other patient would have had. There was nothing horrible here to behold.

Kevin's face was calm, he had regained the faint colour in his cheeks and lips, his eyes were comfortably closed. On his forehead, his soft, black hair fluttered gently in the breeze of the air conditioner. A thick square pad of cotton was taped to his left temple, where he had hit the wall.

Ben's eyes shimmered in love and relief at the sight of Kevin sleeping so peacefully and alive, with his chiselled chest heaving gently in slow breaths. Ben wanted to walk in and talk, apologize, confess; but his legs wouldn't move. He just stood there, with the vertical half of his body in; his emerald eyes gazing longingly at his boyfriend. Whom he had hurt. Really bad.

Maybe Kevin's love was so strong, that he felt Ben's presence in the room. His eyelids slowly opened, his caramel eyes slowly turning to bestow the peeping Ben. His eyes were still the same casual with the roguish charm, but his smile came really slow because his face muscles were a little stiff from having been screaming his head off hours ago.

Ben felt struck by lightning, unable to decide whether to walk away, or walk in.

Kevin's smile grew a little more, his un-injured left hand raised gently towards his young beloved, and his voice came, low and grazed, "Ben..."

That was all Ben needed to encourage him to move.

Immediately, he walked in, holding his shawl together in place with one hand, and reaching out to Kevin's hand with the other. In an instant, he was at the raven's side, whose stretched-out hand Ben lovingly held with both of his own, while the shawl slipped to his elbows ignored.

"Benji...you're ok..." Kevin observed, he spoke softly because his throat hurt a little too.

Ben hung his head, not wanting Kevin to see the unrestrainable tears forming in the emerald greens. He pulled Kevin's hand which he held, against his warm flat chest, and choked, "I'm...I'm so sorry..."

Kevin could feel drops of tears falling onto his locked fingers.

Kevin used the same hand to push Ben's face up by the chin, and his brown eyes roamed over the tear-streaked face, green eyes glistening in tears like green diamonds, cheeks burning red, full lips drooping.

"Ben, stop crying..."Kevin whispered, his face leaned closer to him, but Ben was suddenly struck with Doctor Sands' warning against kissing Kevin, and hence he lowered his face again, making Kevin pause.

Releasing his hand from Ben's grip slowly, he wound the same muscular arm around the petite shoulders and pulled him into a one-armed hug. Ben wanted nothing more than to dissolve into the warmth of the body, as he buried his weeping face into the chest, his own slender arms winding carefully around the large width of the raven's bandaged abdomen.

"So, since you avoided kissing me just now; Doctor Phillip Sands told you everything about Vulphori, hmm?"

Ben nodded against Kevin's chest, "Yeah, everything."

There was a warm silence before Ben spoke in a small voice, "Is ok for me to be this close?" his head was nestling against the muscular left shoulder. Kevin replied calmly into the soft brown hair, "Yeah, as long as you had the dose of the Anti-Half drug from Nurse Viola..."

"Yeah, she did give me a few shots."

"Then it's ok if we cuddled; only extreme actions will activate the virus."

Another soft silence enveloped over them.

"I..am... I am sorry, Kevin; I tore your shoulder, and I injected you with a painful virus, and you had to go through that horrible procedure", Ben whimpered, his arms holding on to the body almost as if he feared Kevin would push him off, and he whispered, "Please forgive me..."

"It's not like I had a choice to not get hurt..."

"You _did _have a choice!" Ben raised his head to look into the brown eyes, "You could have called the Plumbers with the Badge; but you didn't; and you got mauled by me!"

Kevin looked away, "So, you found out my motive, huh?"

"_Grandpa _did. He's proud of you; but you got hurt! And it's all my fault!" Ben's eyes were brimming a little, and Kevin, seeing this, sighed, "Benji; you think I'd let you get _quarantined_ just to save my ass?! If you were put there in the Plumbers Quarantine unit, do you know what they do to you?! They put you on drugs and stuff; they use you like a lab rat; they test chemicals upon chemicals on you, trying to find a cure, which always fails because the Vulphorous is 'scientifically' torchured to death! And it's their secret wish, too! A Vulphorous is best dead than be let to live and create more Vulphori by biting others! You think I'm gonna let them torchure you, while I cheer about my safe ass?!"

Ben gazed at Kevin, feeling a little awed, "Well..."

"Well nothing! I won't let them lay a single finger on you, and I am hell ready to even amputate a part of my body to keep you safe!"

Ben hung his head in sad annoyance, "You,..you're..._I don't like this at all!_ I do the stupidity; and _you_ suffer for it!"

Kevin gathered the slightly weeping brunette against himself again, whispering, "I am doing it of my own free will. It's called 'love' in case you didn't know!",he smiled, "And besides, I'm alright; I am cleansed, and sterilised; and my shoulder is healing as we speak; a few more trips to the Cell Accelerator, and I will be as good as new."

Ben deeply breathed-in the scent of the skin, sighing sadly, "You're doing all this for me, and I'm putting you in risk. Maybe I should have rejected you months ago when you told me that you loved me. That way, you'd be safe and I would -"

"_Prevent _the _most_ _beautiful_ and l_uckiest _moment of my life from happening?!", Kevin snapped, pulling the slender body away from himself, so that he could look at the green eyes and let the message pass clearly, "Tennyson, you say anything about me, I don't care; but I swear if you regret letting me love you, I'll die. Honestly, I will."

Ben pouted in guilt, "I'm sorry," a tear rolling out, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings..." Ben's cheeks and nose were going red in the repeated failed efforts to not cry.

"Just stop apologizing, you dope..." Kevin groaned, pulling him back into place, against his chest.

Kevin knew why Ben was being so melodramatic, and pessimistic; it was the effect of the Anti-Half drug fighting a cold war with the virus within Ben's body. And this inclination to cry at the slightest words was the side effect of it.

"I hope you're not mad at me..." Ben spoke softly.

"No, I'm not mad at you for biting me. But I AM mad at you, for something else."

Ben nearly died with a heart attack. He lifted up his head, full, hot tears now flowing without a stop, "I _knew_ it! You _hate _me..!"

"_Shut it_!"Kevin snapped as if to a three year old, and added with a serious frown, "I'm mad at you 'cause you didn't tell me you were bitten by a Vulphorous! Ok, granted you didn't know what a Vulphorous was, but why did you have to hide it from me anyway?! And when I repeatedly asked you why your shin was bandaged, what did you say? That you tripped over a boulder. Now, _what_ kind of a boulder infects a virus when you trip over it?!"

Ben hung his head again, "I just didn't want you to feel like I can't take care of myself."

"And evidentially, you _can't_", Kevin looked at him sharply.

Ben's shoulders shook a little as he tried to suppress his guilt, grief, regret; all emotions taking turns to abuse tears out of him.

Kevin pulled Ben into an embrace for the umpteenth time, sighing, "I want you to promise that you will never, ever, hide any sort of wound or bruise that you might get in the future from any source; whether you know about it, or not; got it?"

"Yes, I promise", Ben whimpered like a child who had just freaked out from watching a horror show above the permitted rating.

"Good. And I should really let this knock into your head; _I love you_, and I won't stop either. Love is not always about sex and kissing, and touching in the wrong places; it's also about how much we are ready to give up for each other, and not leaving each other's side, no matter what. So, every time you feel like you wanna punish yourself for all that has happened, remind yourself about what I had willingly done to save you, and then you should live up to it so that my efforts haven't gone to waste."

Ben squeaked, "Ok, I'll try... and I love you too."

Kevin smiled into the brown hair, "I know." And he carefully placed a small kiss on the top of the head; thankfully, it did not arouse Ben; it made him feel nice, comfortable, and happy.

A few moments passed in sweet silence.

Two female heads peered into the room from the door. Kevin's eyes fell on Gwen and Julie looking in. "Eheh, hey Kevin, is it ok if we came in, or are we interrupting...?" Julie asked a little unsure.

"It's ok girls, come in," Kevin called out to them, while Ben raised his upper body off his muscular boyfriend.

Gwen and Julie walked in, looking concerned, "How are you faring, Kevin?" Gwen asked.

"I'm pretty much doing well", Kevin smiled, "I'll get rid of these bandages in three days."

"Good", Gwen nodded.

"Where's Max?"

"Grandpa went over to search for the Vulphorous that bit Ben, and to find if there are any more on Earth."

"And the Plumber Kids?"

"They are sanitising and sterilising your house; and fetching the Omnitrix that snapped off Ben's arm."

There was another small silence, as they all looked at each other, Ben suddenly speaking, "I can't wear the Omnitrix anymore, can I?"

Kevin looked at him sadly, "I'm afraid you can't Ben; now that the virus is bound to your DNA after you First Transformation, wearing the Omnitrix will infect the DNA samples in it."

Ben had a distant look in his eyes, "I guess there is gonna be a very bleary life ahead of me", hearing which, Kevin held him closer for moral support, "It's ok, Benji, we'll think of something."

Another person's voice issued from the door, "Is it ok if I pop in?"

It was Max, and he was dressed in his Plumbers uniform. Kevin nodded, "Come on in, Max!"

The burly old man walked in, and stood beside his granddaughter. His aged eyes swept about the bandages tried around Kevin, and shook his head, "I guess we all got up on the wrong side of the bed."

Kevin smiled, "How'd the hunt go? You found the Vulphorous who bit Ben?" and Max answered, "Yeah, we did find him. Pitifully, he was dead from starvation. We ran DNA tests on his mouth, and yes we found Ben's blood on his tongue. I guess Ben was his last victim; the dead body was rotting enough to be understood that its been days since his death."

Ben looked at this grandpa with frightened eyes. _Is THAT what's gonna happen to me?_

Kevin easily sensed the doubt in Ben's mind, and spoke calmly, "Don't worry, Ben; we are here to take care of you; you're not going to die of starvation or anything."

Ben nodded, like a little doe. Kevin was finding it hard to not kiss him.

Max was observing Kevin closely; the great deed the raven had done for his grandson still hasn't digested in his mind. Max remembered how furious he had been when he came to know that Kevin, of all the people, had stolen Ben's heart. It was only after a lot of consoling and reasoning from the brunette that the old Tennyson accepted Kevin, with half-a-mind. But now, as he watched Kevin look lovingly at his beloved grandson, Max decided that he was wrong all this while about the ex-con osmosian.

"Kevin", came Max's voice; and all the four teenagers turned to look at the man. Max had his eyes welding on to Kevin's mahogany pair, and he spoke in a grave manner, "Thanks; for willing to sacrifice your safety, for Ben."

Kevin smiled coolly, although happy to be appreciated, "No big deal. I love him, it's the least I could do."

Max and Kevin gazed at each other for a bit; both of them valued Ben greatly, though in different ways. Max nodded finally, in acceptance of Kevin's love for Ben as not something materialistic or for show, but genuine and true.

Finally, Max spoke to break the silence.

"Coming to the important matter; we have to keep Ben's 'condition' a secret and we _can_, because we managed to keep Ben's hero status a secret from the society for all this while; but there are _two_ people who are _righteous_ to know about Ben's new form, but I doubt whether they'll take the news well...", Max spoke gravely. The four teen faces looked at him in confusion.

"_Two _people?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Carl and Sandra", the man answered.

Immediately the four teen faces went pale and blank. Carl and Sandra, Ben's parents, were in Europe, attending a special family ceremony. They said that it would take them a month to get back. And now, two and a half weeks were complete, and here was Ben acquiring the dangerous virus meantime! Carl and Sandra were already very much angry when they found out that their only son risked his neck, day and night, by being the Universe's teenage hero. And the two had just learnt to live with that. But what would they say if they found out that Ben's DNA was now unromantically bound to that of an intergalactic Werewolf-Vampire virus?!

"Oh no...! ...I _completely_ forgot about mom and dad!" Ben groaned, his head falling on Kevin's shoulder.

"Its not going to be easy hiding it from them either", Julie spoke, "How long can Ben keep himself from being a Half? And how will he explain his sudden need to be a vegetarian; and how will he explain why he disappears every full moon of every month for the rest of his life?! "

Silence fell heavily.

"The only way to avoid all that answering-business, will be to find an antidote!" Gwen said, though her voice was a little low; she knew very well that it was futile to hope for an antidote.

But Kevin didn't think so. "Yup, we have to get the antidote."

Ben raised his head, and looked at Kevin as if he had grown a second head, "Kevin; Doctor Sands told me that antidote is not available anymore! And that the people who used to make that are all dead!"

"I don't blame him; Doctor Sands wouldn't have considered a _particular exception_", Kevin spoke in a low voice, with a sly smile. Max looked at the osmosian seriously, "What are you saying, Kevin?"

Mahogany eyes gazed at the dark irises of the aged man. Kevin smiled slyer, and Max frowned further. They stared at each other in an almost telepathic gaze. Ben nearly screeched in frustration.

Finally Max hissed, "You're not suggesting...?"

"Yes", Kevin hissed with a smart smile, "Tetraxia."

Max's eyes went wide in annoyance, "Are you even listening to yourself, Kevin?! You are aware that you just spoke of _Tetraxia_?!"

"Yes, I am aware, and it's our only option left."

Ben _did _screech in frustration, "Before you guys drive me crazy into a Half; could you _please_ just tell us, who have no idea, what a Tetraxia is?!"

Kevin said, "It's not a '_what_'; it's a '_where_'. Tetraxia is a distant planet, whose inhabitants make the most successful antidotes to any venom or virus, in the history of the Universe."

"Then, that's a good thing, right?!" Gwen's face lit up.

But Max knew better, "But there are problems to that, Gwen! You have no idea how problematic it going to be:

Firstly, the distance. Tetraxia is situated in a galaxy so distant that it would take us two months to get there, and another two months to get back! By the time we reach there, Ben will have completed two whole transformations, and it will be too late! Also, by then, Carl and Sandra will notice our absence, and we will have to tell them everything.

Secondly, the Textraxians. The Textraxians are the most advanced when it comes to making the appropriate antidotes; but they also happen to be the stingiest of all aliens ever! For even a single vial of the Vulphorous Antidote, they might ask us payments that will make us gape like monkeys!"

"Even for the Saviour of the Universe; the Wielder of the Omnitrix?" Ben squeaked.

"They might ask you to surrender the Omnitrix, if it comes to that! And they might even ask for the surrender of Earth to top it!" Max answered, at which Ben gaped.

"I don't think they would want a backwater planet which uses a mere Level Two technology", Kevin piped.

Max frowned, "And thirdly; we don't even know if they make Vulphorous Virus Antidotes anymore!"

"They _do_ make them", Kevin's voice came cool and calm.

All the heads turned to the raven who was still smirking like a thief. Max frowned at him, "And how do _you_ know?! Besides, we would need to inform the Tetraxians with a detailed report, only _IF_ they let us have the Antidote!"

"Who said anything about _informing _the Textraxians that we want their antidote?!"

Max actually recoiled in shock, he seemed to have immediately understood what Kevin was implying,"You are saying that we have to.. -"

"Go to Textraxia, sneak past the security, steal the antidote, and bring it back to cure Ben and live happily ever after with the one boy I truly love?...yes. That's what I'm saying", Kevin spoke all in one breath, and added, "You know you want it too...uh, except for the love part."

Max looked horrified. "_Steal_ from the _Tetraxians?!_ That's impossible! Do you know how _advanced _their security system is?!"

"Like the back of my hand", Kevin literally grinned.

Meanwhile, Gwen, Julie and Ben swung their heads to and fro between Max and Kevin, as if watching a tennis match. Their verbal duel was definitely puzzling the three!

"What do you mean '_like the back of your hand_'?!", Max snapped.

"There's a long bit to tell about that", Kevin sighed, and asked Max, "You know about the Deranged Black Skulls, right?"

Max recoiled again, his eyes wide and angry, "_Know_ the DBS?! Are you sure you know that you're talking to a _Plumber_, boy?! I have chased those good-for-nothing wretches for years! Slippery as eels they are!"

"What's the DBS?" Ben squeaked.

Kevin answered his beloved, "The Deranged Black Skulls, or the DBS, is a large illegal-trade organisation. There's no particular head of the group, they're just here and there and everywhere all over the galaxies. They are mostly youngsters of our age, half human and half alien, like us. But they deal with the black market, trading and well, thieving. They are on the Plumber's top list of 'pesky, wanted humans', aint it, Max?"

Max folded his large hands, annoyed that he was right, "Yeah. I think I made that clear with the 'chased those good-for-nothing wretches for years' comment", and then he added, "How did you know so well about them?"

"I was a Deranged Black Skull, when I was thirteen. For four years actually."

There was a painful pause.

Max's mouth fell open, and he balled his fists in fury, "WHAT?!"

"Woah-oh-oh! Take it easy, old man! Guy with a stitched shoulder here!" Kevin panicked, failing out his left hand in defence and then pointing at his bandaged self.

Ben immediately spread his hands over the raven's chest, "Grandpa! He said he WAS a Deranged-whatitsname! That doesn't mean he is one _now_! Right, Kevin?"

"Right. I _was_ one", and he turned to Max, "And if you'll listen to me, I can tell you something that will help us get to Tetraxia. First, you gotta promise me that I won't have to get another operation 'cause you got all furious at me."

Max grunted in reply. The new pride he had for Kevin was melting off of Max, like wet paint in the rain. But seeing that Kevin may not be the same as he was years ago, since he _definitely_ was different from that scrawny, pale, eleven year old imp who tried to kill Ben, Max took a deep breath and spoke calmly, "I'm all ears."

"You see; after I got rid of my very first mutation from the Omnitirix (Ben, please stop whimpering) at the age of thirteen I got out of the Null Void and did some handy jobs here and there. Then I was found by the DBS, who immediately took me in and taught me the trade. One of our top projects was to create a bridge, we called it the Wormhole Cross, that would take us from the Milkyway Galaxy to the Druanian Galaxy which contained a lot of important ports, space stations, techno-rich planets and ...Tetraxia. "

Max was now more interested as he listened, "Go on..."

"We came to know that Tetraxia was creating Vulphorous Virus Antidotes again, and hence we were even more eager to complete the project, 'cause, once we get our hands on a little of the Antidote, we could auction it off to the highest bidder and make millions. I think that by the time I left the DBS, we were 90% done with the Wormhole Cross."

"Why did you leave the DBS, actually?" Ben asked curiously.

Kevin smiled at him, "My heart wanted me to. I dunno, I just felt I wanted to go back to Earth again", looking at Ben, he sighed, "Thank God I wanted to."

Ben smiled too, and Max interrupted, "Before the two of you go mushy, and Ben turns into a Half as a result of it; continue what you were saying, Kevin!"

"Ah, yes, so we were 90% done with the bridge. So I think, that by now, they might have completed the construction, and we can use it to go over to that rotten planet and get Ben's cure!"

"How long does it take us to reach the Wormhole Cross?"

"I dunno, about two days I think?" Kevin scratched the back of his head, "Anyway, I still have the contacts of two of my very good friends, two DBS guys, who can help us get there. Plus, we had also learnt how the security works, and how to get through it. All we have to do is to get a spaceship, and -"

_Beep, beep, beep!_

Max almost jumped at the sound of his Plumbers badge beeping from his pocket. Pulling it out, he smiled, "Its Azmuth." A holographic projection of the old Galvan appeared, floating over the badge that Max held out to the teenagers to see.

The small, bent Galvan looked at them, with his hands folded behind himself, his aged eyes fixed on Ben, "Ben Tennyson!" he snapped, "Why is it that there is not a _month_ inb your life without _trouble_ following your head?!"

Ben sighed, "Nice to see you too, Azmuth", rolling his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me!" the Galvan snapped again, and then shook his head, "How unfortunately the events have happened lately." He then looked at Kevin, "Kevin Levin; how are you now?"

"Healing", he raised a thumb.

There was a short silence.

ben smiled sweetly,"Come on Azmuth; say it. It's ok, you will not be considered rude by saying it. Just say it."

Azmuth frowned, before snapping, "Alright; where's my Omnitrix?!"

Max answered the respectable elder, "Here it is, Azmuth. My Plumbers Kids bought it to me", and he pulled out a small, glass box within which sat the Omnitrix; if it had a face, it would be frowning in anger for having been left ignored for a long time under Kevin's bed.

"Is it infected?" Azmuth asked, clearly he was upset about his masterpiece, than about Ben being a Vulphorous. "No", answered Ben, "It snapped off my wrist as I transformed."

"Well, coming to that; now that you have completed you First Transformation, it is understood that you cannot wear the Omnitrix anymore."

"I know. So, I want Grandpa to have it", Ben smiled at Max, who started in shock, "No, Ben I ..."

"It was made for you in the first place, wasn't it? You gotta take it, now that I can't."

"Ben is right, Max Tennyson", Azmuth shook his head; "Ben is no longer compatible."

"Until he gets to Tetraxia, that is", Kevin added, making Azmuth look at him in an odd manner, even for Azmuth, "Tetraxia?! Are you even listening to yourself, Kevin Ethan Levin?! You are aware that you just spoke of _Tetraxia_?!"

"Oh, here we go again!" Ben, Julie, and Gwen groaned hanging their heads tiredly.

Once Kevin explained to Azmuth that he was a part of DBS; at which Azmuth almost smirked at Max; the old Galvan scratched his chin, "Well, considering that you have two _DBS_ youngsters to lead you to a tightly secure planet, it is the only option left for Ben to take."

"So its decided, then. We go to Tetraxia", Kevin finalised, "We start our plan with me contacting Jack Vortacon and Paulo Consor; and get them to meet us. Then we can decide the later details."

"But you'll need to take rest for two days", Max pointed out, "You will have to confirm with Doctor Sands on how long it will take you to heal completely. I will make sure your house is clean for you and Ben to occupy once you get discharged."

"Rightie-o!", Kevin nodded. Then came Azmuth's voice, "Well, as long as the Omnitrix is alright; my work here is done! Good luck to you all! And spare me a vial of Antidote when you get it...IF you get it, that is."

With a 'Bzzt' the holographic projector went off. Max stuffed the badge back into his pocket and turned to Kevin, "I am letting you ex-DBS go, for the sole reason that you saved my grandson. You should be happy."

Kevin smiled, nonchalantly, "I am." There was a pause, Max grunted, but all together smiled too, as he left the room saying, "I have to scrounge for more Vulphori in Bellwood. Ben, stay off his face, ok?"

The teens looked at each other, when Max's voice again came from the door, "Gwen? Julie? You both wanna accompany me?"

The girls looked at each other, and then at the boys who went back gazing into each other's eyes.

"Yeah, we're coming!" Gwen called out, catching Julie's hand, and waving off to Kevin and Ben, "Get well soon!"

Hence, cleverly leaving the two lovebirds to go back cooing in their own warmth, the two girls left the Special Ward.

-End of Chapter -

* * *

**_ok!_**

**_i wrote different parts of this chapter at different times. so i guess it seems a little odd here and there? shrug. no ones perfect! _**

**_by the way; the whole max-and-kevin chemistry is inspired from the fact tht max always looked down at kevin coz he was an excon, and a mutant and he rtied to kill ben, in the original alien force series. i always wanted max to appreciate kevin. i mean, give the kid a break! he has had a rough childhood! :3 plus, i was so happy when i saw that episode in alien force where max goes, "Good job you all! and you too kevin. I think you finally deserve the Plumbers Badge you stole!" u knw, tht episode where Ken was abducted by the DNAliens?_**

**_heehee! kevin rocks! _**

**_more coming soooon!_**

**_review pls! i luv ur opinions!_**


	9. The Pamphlet

**_Okie! doctor stacy here!_**

**_warning : this story contains boyxboy..yada yada yada..._**

**_disclaimer : i do not own ben ten alien force or its affiliated characters_**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE _**

**_Chapter nine : The Pamphlet_**

Kevin and Ben stayed the same; Ben with his arms wound around the bandaged body, while Kevin had his cheek against the soft brunette hair. They stayed that way, for it was comforting and beautiful; for a moment, all the tension and excitement evaporated, it was just them, breathing softly in each other's presence.

All nice moments have a knack of ending quick.

Doctor Stacy opened the door of the Special Ward, and let herself in, closing the door behind her. But Doctor Stacy was not anything bad or rude; she stood at the spot near the door, calmly acknowledging the privacy of the raven and brunette. Smiling at the teens who loosened their embrace politely, she spoke, "Am I interrupting?"

"It's ok, doctor", Kevin shrugged as well as it was possible with a bandaged shoulder.

"Is that the pamphlet Doctor Sands talked about?" Ben asked, pointing at the rectangular piece of paper held in the long, slender fingers of the blonde lady. "Why, yes it is, Ben. It's the General Guide to All Things to be Avoided."

She stepped towards them till she stood at the foot of the bed, so that she could look Ben and Kevin in the face, properly. Holding the pamphlet crisply, she spoke:

"Ben and Kevin, I want to both to listen carefully to what I read; yes, even you, Kevin, because it is as much your responsibility being Ben's sexual attraction, to keep him from being a half, as it is Ben's. Alright? Now, listen well, I will speak slowly so that everything I say is well understood.

The things to be avoided, or noticed carefully, depend on the five senses of the human being:

One; Sight. Here, it is mostly about what you see with your eyes, which can arouse you into a Vulphorous. So, there are restrictions on what you can watch on TV. That is, no romantic films, no kissing on screen, no sexual content rated R. No gory, bloody, horror films that have a lot of blood and flesh being cut; the colour red should be avoided in the liquid form, since it resembles blood and activates the virus. No pornography, in movies or games, or pictures. No action thrillers that can increase your heartbeat rate to a maximum giving the virus enough energy to activate. Because, not only do sexual content arouse the virus, but so do the extreme excitement or anger. So might want to cut down watching soap operas if you watch any. However, what you CAN see, are comedies. Lots and lots of laughter-inducing comedic shows and films; because laughter produces chemicals that can help our Anti-Half drug in keeping the activation at bay.

Two; Smell. There isn't much that I can pinpoint on for you to avoid, because it depends on WHAT you find arousing or stimulating that you should avoid. For instance, scent of clothes or deodorant that your sexual attraction uses, that is Kevin, will easily remind you of nights you spent with him, and hence activate the virus. Also, flowers, or fragrances, or even sweet foods that you find sexually appealing should be avoided.

Three; Sound. This is has to do with songs. You must avoid songs that have hidden or unhidden sexual meanings, or tunes that makes one aroused. Also, songs that are too trashy and even ones that are too much metal. It can bring out some of your forgotten angers and the virus will use that as a lifeline to activate itself. But you CAN listen to songs that make you happy, or those that make you laugh, for the same reason as I have explained for the Sight.

Four; Taste. This is the second most important thing after Sight. You have to avoid a whole lot of foods. No more meat, mutton, beef or fish, or any form of animal; no sauces that are flaming red, no white-hot spicy foods. No hamburgers, no bacon, no fillets, no sausages. Anything that is red, orange or maroon can inflame the virus to a Half. You must also avoid delicacies that remind you of Kevin in the wrong manner, or foods that have an alluring scent that makes you hungry. And definitely no chilly-fries, understanding that you are a regular Mr. Smoothy customer. But what you MUST eat are lots of greens; green vegetables and salads to satisfy your stomach that feels the absence of the protein of the meat prohibited to you. You can eat salted fries, but none with chilly. Even soups ought to be looked at; you can't have non-veg soups, just a taste of it is enough to activate the virus. You can have all sorts of fruits, and ice-creams and bakery; it's only the non-veg that you must avoid. And all that is coloured red."

Doctor Stacy paused. Both Ben and Kevin were staring at her face as if turned to stone. She just needed to make sure they weren't sleeping with their eyes open. When she blinked at them, they blinked back, clearly implying that they were concentrating on the matter seriously.

"Oh...it sounds like a diet!" Ben whimpered, still reeling in the shock of all the things that were prohibited to him, "And I'm already slim enough!"

"Yes; but you will be twice as healthy, if you look on the bright side! Anyway, to continue the final group in the Pamphlet...

Five; Touch. This is actually the most devious of them all. You have to be very careful here. This is based completely on sexual attraction. Kevin, even the smallest wrongly-synchronised touch on your part can make Ben aroused into a Half. As for Ben, you cannot touch Kevin, nor can he touch you, in unspeakable places. In general..." she took a deep breath before rattling quickly because it was an embarrassing topic, "No kissing, no licking, no love-bites, no masturbation, no hand-jobs, no blow-jobs, no poking, no prodding, and definitely no sodomy."

She looked a little flustered as she asked, hoping for _no_ answer, "Any questions?"

Ben eagerly raised his hand as Kevin looked at him in surprise. "Yes, you, the Vulphorous?", she sighed, shaking her head, holding the bridge of her nose.

"What's sodomy?" Ben asked innocently.

Kevin and Doctor Stacy both jumped a little. The lady's blue eyes turned to the raven, who spoke apologetically, "Uh, sorry, just a sec..." he pulled Ben's face towards him, and whispered into his ear.

"_OH_..._that!_" Ben smiled wide in realisation, blushing heavily, "Fancy we've been doing it for days and I didn't know its name!" At this, Kevin groaned as he too shook his head, "That's just about it for 'not _talking_ about it', I guess."

Doctor Stacy was almost going red in the face, as she pushed up her glasses, "Now, since _that_ is cleared, ahem, the pamphlet is complete. I hope you have paid close attention to all of the details; and the more we keep Ben in his human form, the better. Also, you will be handed a kit that contains the Anti-Half drug, which has to be administrated to Ben, every morning, afternoon and night; that is, three times per day. it can be refilled once it gets over, from here, in the Secret Plumbers Base. The medication in the kit will be in the form of an injection, and a drink, both to be taken in succession. Although it will help you stay human, it will do nothing to prevent the Full Transformations that await you for the rest of your life." Her voice went a little low. She did feel horrible for the pretty brunette boy who loved the bandaged macho like his life.

"But, Ben will never _make_ the next Full Transformation", Kevin smiled proudly. Doctor Stacy blinked oddly at him, quirking an eyebrow, "Sorry, _what?_"

"Ben will not make the next Full Transformation", Kevin repeated, "He will be cured by this month.

Doctor Stacy's blue eyes widened in surprise, "Really? So you have found the cure?"

"Not yet. We know where it is though; we just have to fetch it", Kevin beamed childishly.

"And where is this '_where_' ?"

"Tetraxia."

Naturally, she reacted just like Max and Azmuth, "Tetraxia?! Have you gone crazy?!" she gasped.

She was better than Max and Azmuth though; she wasn't actually shouting out in shock, she was merely gasped at them in wonder. Maybe she believed it was possible. When Kevin told her that they have the friends to arrange the trip to Tetraxia and back, she asked, "But it would take you several days to reach there! By then..." but Kevin interrupted her by saying, "The DBS has built a secret bridge to the Druanian Galaxy. We will manage."

"The _DBS _is involved?! Max Tennyson was not happy, was he?" she smiled humorously, at which Ben and Kevin grinned in reply. She placed a hand on her chin, "Then again, an illegal bridge to another galaxy..."

"Please don't tell anyone else in this faculty! Please!" Kevin spoke suddenly, sitting up, alert and panicking, "This is solely for curing Ben, not for making any profits. We need to keep Ben alive; and after all, its 'cause of Ben that Earth is still safe, right? The Plumbers don't have to know about this!"

She laughed openly and gently, before smiling in a friendly manner, "No, I won't tell anyone, given the reasons you yourself put forward! But since you have Max Tennyson, and the DBS to help you, that antidote is as good as yours!"

Kevin and Ben smiled gratefully at her optimism. Then Kevin suddenly added, "But, please tell Doctor Sands; he's gotta know; we need him to do the Purification Process on Ben. There's no one better than him to do the Process."

"Ah, yes, there's no one like Doctor Sands"", she smiled, and added with a nod,"I will inform him. I'm sure he will be happy to hear that Ben will be cured before the next Full Transformation!"

...after five minutes,at the Doctor's office...

"_Tetraxia?!"_ Doctor Sands broke into a peal of polite, mannerly laughs. He removed his glasses and swiped at his eyes, "Goodness! Oh, the boys these days! How ambitious!" and he replaced his frameless glasses back on to the bridge of his nose, "But I am glad to know that the virus will not manage to plague their love story into a tragedy. They are a special couple, that Kevin and Ben. God bless them."

Doctor Stacy smiled. Hopefully, by next month this time, Ben and Kevin will be back smiling and beaming, free of the Vulphorous' curse.

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_Hello! another day another chapter!  
heres the chapter you wanted, scylasama! not exactly wht u wanted, but textraxia vayage is coming to it! :3 _**

**_review pls! luv you guys!_**

**_dont forget; kevin rocks! _**


	10. The Commitment

**_:3 this looks like a small chapter to me! oh well,... :)_**

**_warning : this story contains boyxboy / yaoi . you have been warned._**

**_disclaimer : i dod not own ben ten aline force or its characters._**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_Chapter ten : The Commitment_**

Kevin looked at Ben, "You eyes are sleepy, Ben. Go get some rest", at which Ben blinked with his heavy eyes and spoke, "I ...m...not..yaaaaaaaawnn... sleepy..."

Kevin gave out a laugh, "You sound ridiculous when you yawn while you talk!" and then he shook his head, "We haven't slept last night remember? And now it's morning and really early. You should go to sleep over at the visitors lounge, Ben. You can barely stand!"

Ben looked at Kevin, who himself had eyelids half draped across the mahogany irises. Ben fought his own eyelids from closing, "Aw...but I want to stay here with you..."

"You _can_..." Kevin yawned into his left hand, "But after a good sleep. You have had a rough transformation, and I have had a painful operation. We both should have a timeout."

Ben nodded reluctantly. "Ok, but lemme help you lie down!"

"Thanks, babe", he smiled.

Ben helped Kevin rearrange the pillows and pushed down the upper part of the bed that had been raised for Kevin to lean on while in the sitting position. The brunette helped Kevin lower himself into the soft pillow, although he gave out a few groans as his shoulder was still stiff, and his spine hurt a bit. Once he was lying down, he felt better. Ben pulled the blankets to Kevin's chin, and made sure he was comfy. Looking down at the fair face, Ben had the greatest urge to kiss him 'sweet dreams', but he remembered very well that his teeth and gums carried the virus, so he just stared, with a semi-pout. Having a sudden idea, Ben removed his shawl from himself, while Kevin raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Ben placed a bit of the thin cloth over Kevin's forehead and kissed him _on_ it, "Have a good sleep, Kev..."

Kevin looked back up, with a sad smile, "I will, after _that_."

Patting Kevin's left hand that was free, Ben draped the shawl around his own shoulders and waved to Kevin as he left, looking back as he walked to the door, feeling rather sad and miserable.

"Look ahead as you walk, dope! Or you'd hit the wall!" Kevin grinned, making Ben jump and laugh as he shook his head, and walked out the door.

o.o.o

By the afternoon of that day, Kevin was discharged. Doctor Sands was rather pleased as he spoke, "I must say, it is miraculous that you healed so fast; but then, it is a good thing, so let's not dampen it, shall we? Since you have a Cell Accelerator in your own house, you don't necessarily have to come down here for it. You're shoulder is stitched and healed, but I suggest you move that part of your arm as less as you can, just in case it rips."

"Got it, Doc!" Kevin had smiled.

Ben and Kevin were handed the Anti-Half kit, with all the necessary methods of administration explained to Kevin, Gwen, Julie and Max. Once they were thoroughly aware of it, he gave them the responsibility of keeping Ben up-to-date with his shots; and also to make sure he eats right.

Doctor sands had a special comment for Kevin. He asked Kevin to come over to a corner privately and explained, "As much as it is important for you to stay away from Ben's sexual needs; it is as much important for you to be with him. Because a victim needs the support and presence of his loved ones, especially of the one he loves. So, when I say don't touch him, I don't mean to isolate yourself from him; I mean to not arouse him. But you must stay with him and help him through the short despairs and guilts that could strike him every other minute, alright?"

Kevin looked straight into the blue eyes behind the unbelievably clean glasses, "Of course! I'd never desert Ben, especially not now! It's gonna be hard to keep off him romantically, but I'll do my best for him. I really will."

Doctor Sands smiled proudly at him.

o.o.o

"Here; you house is squeaky clean, man! yaaawn!" Manny yawned as he spoke, his four arms stretching and cracking their knuckles.

Ben and Kevin looked around, Kevin observing that all the damage the Vulphorous did, was repaired and placed properly. Meanwhile, Max was over at the Plumber's Base with some important paperwork and expenses of Ben's and Kevin's treatment. He had dropped the Ben, Kevin, Gwen and Julie over at the house before zooming off.

Ben and Kevin were very much pleased at the house.

"It was hard work; several hours straight; but we managed", Helen smiled, while Pierce folded his hands with a frown at Ben and Kevin, "Beats me why you guys yourself shouldn't have done it after you healed!"

Cooper sighed, "Ben is not really in a position to do chores; and Kevin had an injured shoulder! I rest my case."

Alan piped, "Atleast, I was allowed to play the music as I did my work, so I enjoyed it!"

"And _who _allowed you to touch my music system?" Kevin folded his hands, looking down at the scrawny caramel-skinned teen, who looked back, grinning with his thick lips, "Uh, Pierce did? You got the best system in the world, Kevin!"

Kevin's brown eyes rolled to Pierce who shrugged, "The kid was doing a terrible job of it. So I let him play the music. He did well after that."

"I don't like nobody touching my stuff", Kevin growled, not in anger, but annoyance. Ben skipped to his side, hanging to his arm adorably, "Aw, shucks, Kevin! You shouldn't be so mean! Look how nicely they had done the cleaning! The place is literally spotless!"

Kevin shrugged, looking at the Plumber Kids who inwardly gave a 'phew', and a prayer of thanks for Ben. The raven grunted rolling his eyes, with a raised thumb, "Good job."

Ben offered the tired group to sit on the couches while he fixed them lemonade. Kevin had disappeared to his bedroom with the excuse that he wanted to make sure no one flicked of any of his stuff; but he was just kidding, he needed to go to the bathroom. Ben was trying his best to be friendly, hoping that none of the Plumber's Kids were afraid of him due to his new DNA. He didn't have to worry; they didn't mind his 'condition' at all.

Gwen and Julie bustled about the clean kitchen, fixing snacks. Soon, Kevin came down the stairs to join them.

"Hey, since you all cleaned out my house; why didn't you do the laundry?!"

The Plumbers Kids paused while eating and stared at him stupidly with a frown.

"Yeah, right!" Pierce scoffed.

"What happened to 'I don't like nobody touching my stuff', huh?", Helen piped.

"Hey! Who doesn't like their laundry being done for them by others?!" Kevin grinned, at which Ben came over and nudged him on the arm, whispering, "Stop being such a goofball, and order some smoothies, will ya?!"

"Okie!" Kevin shrugged, walking over to the landline, picking up the wireless to order a bunch of smoothies. Mr. Smoothy ran a 24/7 smoothie-service; with a special discount for their regular customer Ben Tennyson.

"So, Ben, I heard from Max ya all going to Tetraxia", Manny asked as he gulped down lemonade. Ben smiled as he agreed, "Yeah. Did you guys freak out? 'Cause every time we told somebody that, they totally freak out!"

"Well, we were kinda stumped; but we guess if Max is withya; nothings gonna go wrong."

"True", Ben smiled.

Kevin walked over and sat on the armrest of the couch Ben sat on. It was a good atmosphere, the house was smelling fresh and clean with the scent of biscuits and cookies. Noticing the laughter and jokes flying about, Ben would have considered his Vulphorous transformation only as a nightmare rather than a reality that just happened yesterday.

"So, Kevin, since you're all injured and temporarily unavailable; you think Pierce has a shot at Ben?" Manny grinned.

Pierce choked on his lemonade, his eyes bulging as he hissed angrily at the Tetramand, "_Manny! What the hell are you talking about?!" _

Kevin merely smiled at the two.

"_You_ know what I'm talkin about!" Manny grinned, "We _all_ know that you were hittin on Ben before he became Kevin's property!" In reply, Pierce blushed horribly, the pink seeing well, despite the deep tan of his skin, "No I wasn't!"

Then came Kevin's calm voice, with a smirk of a Gang lord, "Pierce lays one finger on Ben, and he learns the true meaning of the word 'pierce'."

The Plumber Kids Leader stared at Kevin, and frowned, "I was _not_ hitting on Ben! True, I was awed that he was Max Tennyson's grandson, but who gave you these ideas?!" he was blushing furiously again, which only confirmed it.

_Oooh, two guys fighting over me...! What a lovely feeling! _ Ben wriggled his fingers happily.

"Then who are you in love with, Pierce?" Ben asked sweetly, and in reply Pierce frowned at his sandwich than frown at the cute brunette, "No one", he mumbled.

"Aw! _Everyone_ falls in love, Pierce! Even the gravest of Ad-junkie's fall in love! Ain't that so Kevin?"

"Living proof", Kevin pointed at himself. At once, there came more laughter, and Pierce blushed to his limit.

o.o.o

It had become nightfall. Ben sat at the window-sill, smiling at the large expanse of black sky; a view that was remarkable to behold, with the tiny stars gleaming and twinkling like tiny diamonds sprinkled across a black lake. There were ashen clouds flitting sleepily across the moon, the celestial body that was the pivot of his problems; and yet, it looked so beautiful hanging there in the night sky that he couldn't help smile at it. As he breathed gently, he felt grateful to be alive.

_After all, it was not the moon's fault; it was mine..._

Ben sighed and forced on a smile when he realised that his train of thought was going down the despairing track. That was when he heard Julie's calm voice, "Ben, we would like to talk to you; is it ok?"

Ben turned to see Kevin, Gwen and Julie, standing side by side with the same smile on their faces. Ben raised an eyebrow as he got up from the window-sill and approached them slowly, "Uh,..what's up?"

"We...we discussed this between the three of us, and we have finally decided on something. You can't say no to it! " Gwen spoke, and Ben asked, "But how will I say no, if I dunno what it is?!"

"Julie? you wanna tell him?", smiled Gwen. Julie nodded, after looking at the raven and redhead, she spoke to Ben, "Since you are prohibited from eating non-veg; we're stopping it too."

"WHAT?! You guys can't do that! _I'm_ the Vulphorous here!" Ben objected with a gape.

Julie continued, "Ben, it hurts us to know that you can't enjoy what we could. And we don't really want to eat things you aren't supposed to, 'cause we want to help you become a veg, by _being_ a veg with you; we're ready to sacrifice that, to help you hold down the Half. It's a unanimous decision."

Ben gaped, touched that his friends were ready to forget the delicious indulgence of the foods that were sorely prohibited to him. His eyes brimmed with tears, "Are-are you sure...it's gonna be hard to stop eating all those things the doctors told me not to..."

"If it's gonna be hard; we'll bear it _together_, Benji", Kevin smiled, winding an arm around his shoulder.

Ben's lower lips twitched, his cheeks flushed and he burst out, "_I love you guys!",_ and in a whirlwind the girls embraced him lovingly, trapping Kevin in as well. And they hugged, four teenagers ready to make a commitment.

_And we love you too, Ben..._

o.o.o

They had hatched a good plan for now. They had three days till Kevin contacts Jack Vortacon and Paulo Consor, by then Kevin would have his shoulder healed completely and ready to travel.

Gwen and Julie had convinced their parents that they wanted to stay over at Kevin's home for an important 'secret mission'; and after a lot of cajoling, and a few spells up Gwen's sleeve, they had their permission.

And for those three days, the three teenagers took turns giving Ben his shots.

That is, on Day 1, Kevin had to get up early to give Ben his injection and medicine, that day afternoon Gwen, and that night, Julie. On Day 2, Gwen was to wake up early and give Ben his shots, that afternoon Julie, night Kevin. On Day 3, Julie would get up in the morning to give Ben his shots, that afternoon Kevin, night Gwen.

And all Ben had to do was gape as they explained the plan to him.

Cooking was done by all three; all Ben had to do was sit still like a pretty doll, and be fed and kept happy.

Hopefully, he will stay a good boy by the three days.

But this is _Ben Tennyson_ we're talking about!

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_Blame me for a crappy chapter-end! but if i continued to day 1,2,3; then this would get tooo long! ah well; wht you readers can do is click that little 'Next' button over there to you right, and read the next chapter when it arrives! :3_**

**_and any suggestions for poor pierce? i dont have anyone in mind for him, and i do so hate leaving characters alone and loveless! :(_**

**_review pls!_**


	11. Day 1 in detail

_**gyaaah! ive never written about food before! :3 pls be kind to me !**_

_**chapter 11 ! **_

_**warning : this story contains boyxboy/ yaoi (homophobes : 'ahhh! run away!') get the point?**_

_**disclaimer : i donot own anything, except this story thts taking too long! **_

* * *

_**ITS A WILD LIFE**_

**_Chapter eleven : Day 1 in detail_**

"Wakey wakey!" Kevin grinned, nudging Ben by the arm. The brunette retorted by turning away and burying his face in the pillow. "Not so fast! Get up, Ben! You have to take your shots!" Kevin pulled at the arm till he rolled Ben on his back. Ben was still asleep. Dressed in his beloved pyjamas, he was an adorable sight. Kevin frowned as his thoughts threatened to go another way. Shaking his head, he used the 'Next resort'. He picked up the glass of cold water that he had brought before-hand, and splashed it effortlessly and emotionless upon Ben's face.

"Gyyyaaargh!"

Ben sat up in a flash, squealing,"_Cold! Cold-cold-cold-cold-COLD!_" he flailed his hands about, and swept them at his face. Kevin watched the drama from his seat on Ben's right hand side on the bed; whilst grinning in success. Ben pouted as he rubbed his eyes with his sleeves, "That was _mean_, Kevin!"

"Oh, c'mon! Can't the brave Ben Tennyson handle a lil' cold water?!" Kevin put out his hand and wiped Ben's face like a father does his child. Ben pouted further, as Kevin ruffled his hair, green eyes frowning, "That was when I _had _the Omnitrix!"

"Silly kid", Kevin laughed.

He set the Anti-Half Drug kit on the bed while Ben watched him click the silver box open. Within, sitting snugly in its compartment of Styrofoam, was a small shining syringe, and beside it, it's needles. Several small vials of faintly indigo-colored liquid were arranged neatly, beside a medium sized bottle of tonic. In addition was the small vial of anesthetic. Bandages, cotton and the necessary tissue paper were all provided in the kit.

Ben whimpered a little at the sight of the syringe that Kevin took out. Kevin smiled at Ben, "C'mon, Benji! You're not afraid of this tiny syringe, are you?"

"Bees are tiny too! And they sting like a bitch."

"This is a_ syringe,_ not a bee."

Ben watched with frightful, but interested eyes as Kevin peeled off the needle from its paper, and mounted it upon the syringe. Pulling out a vial of drug, he pierced the needle into the top and suctioned a good amount of the pale-blue liquid. Smiling at it, as he adjusted the amount as per Doctor Sands' specification, Kevin spoke with his eyes on the syringe, "Ok, Ben; pull up your sleeve. Right hand."

Ben blinked at him. When Kevin turned to look at him, he hid his face behind his folded knees.

"Benji… don't be a baby!", Kevin carefully set the ready-to-go needle aside on the kit, and tackled with Ben, till he finally had a grip on the slim arm. Ben whimpered again, "Its gonna huuuurtt!"

"Haven't you had vaccinations from school?" Kevin sighed. Ben wondered and jogged his memory…

_…The nurse ran behind the ten year old Ben, who still had his white sleeve folded up. He raced through the corridor of his school for his life, the nurse yelling, "Get back here!" and he managed to cross the janitor's room, while the clueless man calmly stepped out, only to have the nurse ram against him. There was a moment of ridiculous Tango as the man and woman pirouetted accidentally round and round, and finally fell in a heap on the floor…come to think of it…did the janitor and the nurse have something going on? Those were some choreographed moves….!…._

"There. All done", Kevin finalized, as he pulled out the empty syringe from Ben's arm.

"Ubuh…what?!" Ben blinked. He looked down at the syringe to see it empty. Kevin popped off the needle and disposed of it in the garbage bin near the bed.

"Didn't feel a thing, did ya?! Told you so."

"But, when..?"

"You spaced out into your thoughts when I asked you about your vaccinations in school. I took my chance", he gave out a victorious grin at which Ben pouted again, and smacked him with his pillow, "You manipulator!" Kevin laughed off, defending himself from the soft attacks of the lush pillow, "Hey! It's like you _wanted_ to feel pain! What are you? A masochist?! Hahahaha!"

Ben smacked him again, Kevin reached out and caught it with one hand, "And now for the drink!"

"Oh, grooossss! It smells _yucky_!" Ben made a terrible face as Kevin tried to push a spoon of bluish-green tonic into his resisting mouth.

Kevin sighed, hanging his head tiredly, "Benji, be a good boy and drink it up…"

"No! Ew-ew-ew! I won't!" Ben resisted again, making Kevin hiss, "You wanna get better dontchya? If you don't take this, you might gobble me up!" his brown eyes fixed hypnotically on Ben's green pair. Ben gazed back, like a child attracted to a candle flame, "You'll have to go through another of those process things?"

"Yup, and this time, I won't survive!", Kevin half-pouted, "So, drink up. Please?"

Frowning in thought, Ben finally shrugged and imagined smoothies as Kevin pushed in the spoon's head. Ben's eyes bulged as he fought to keep the tonic from being barfed out, Kevin egging him,"Swallow, Tennyson, swallow!", and he did swallow, choking as if it were poison.

"Urgh! Grosss….!"

"Urgh, the things I do for love…",Kevin shook his head, running his fingers through his hair.

_This is the first day…I wonder what awaits me in three days with baby-face Ben! Damn those doe eyes!_

"Pillow fight?" Kevin offered to distract his thoughts from going down the "Oh-no-you-didnt" lane. Ben frowned, "You made me drink _muck_! Of course I want a pillow fight!" saying thus he seized his pillow again.

After a tiring war with the pillows; Ben yawned as he fell limp onto the bed, "What time is it?"

"Six in the morning", Kevin yawned too, falling beside Ben, onto the bed. They looked at each other for a moment. All of a sudden Kevin sat up, scratching the back of his neck, "Uh,…I …uh.. I'd better get back to _my_ bed…uh, sweet dreams, honey!"

Ben sighed sadly. Until a few weeks ago, Kevin would have _killed_ just to get in bed with him. But here they were now; Kevin forcibly having to fight his lust to get away from Ben as soon as possible before he regrets it.

"Sweet dreams to you too, Kevin", Ben sighed again, pulling the covers to his chin and watching the raven male walk to the door.

Ben sounded so sad, that Kevin couldn't help but walk back and press a soft, careful kiss on the top of the head, "Don't get your heart all ringing, ok?!"

Ben smiled cutely, nodding in agreement.

o.o.o

Breakfast was nice indeed. When Ben came downstairs after a good bath, he was treated like royalty, and made to sit at the table; while dishes were brought to him like how waiters bring to their valued customers.

Ben smiled happily at the grilled cheese sandwich, and glass of sparkling orange juice.

"And this is?" Ben pointed at a small bowl that was set beside his juice.

"Fruit salad", Kevin smiled, "With a special honey-syrup-thing that we made; just sweet enough to enjoy but not too much to make you sick. Bon Appetit!"

After that meal with the three teens, Ben was grinning like an idiot, "That was like the _best_ breakfast ever!"

The three bowed simultaneously. Straightening up, they gave each other a high five.

"I guess this set-up aint so bad, after all!"

Ben spoke too soon.

o.o.o

It wasn't lunch time yet. Ben was so bored; he had to just sit there and watch the three teens run around the house doing the chores like one big family.

Gwen ran about with the laundry (which she did with the spells); Julie did the cleaning of dishes; Kevin did the cooking. Their jobs were interchangeable too though.

"Can't _I_ do something?" Ben squeaked, only to be retorted with different responses. Ben sighed, lying back onto the couch, kicking off his shoes to prop them on the coffee table. Picking up the remote control, he switched on Kevin's large plasma TV. Flicking through channels, he tried searching for comedy. And this was what all he found:

A couple kissing. Ben recognized them as Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater from Titanic.

"GOD! Why the hell!" Ben groaned.

~click~

_"...It seems today; that all we see; is violence in movies; and sex on TV…" _

Ben frowned angrily at the Family Guy sequence.

~click~

"We bring to you, the most romantic movie in history.. -"

"I _DON'T_ even wanna know!" Ben huffed.

~click~

...

~click~

...

~click~

...

~click~

…

After five minutes, Kevin happened to walk into the room, only to see Ben _standing _on the couch brandishing the remote in his hand whilst screaming at the screen, "_WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!_"

"Woah-oh-oh! Ben! Take it easy!" Kevin caught him around the waist to lower him down, as the brunette huffed angrily, "Your stupid TV _hates_ me!"

"How can that be? It's _my_ TV; it's _gotta_ love you!"

"Well, it don't! Its putting all sorts of romantic and horror stuff to tease me!" Ben handed him the remote angrily; and he sat down with a huff. Kevin sat down beside him, surfing through the channels till he spoke, "Here, watch some cartoons! Like Looney Tunes! That can't be any harm, right?"

"Oh, well, whadduhya know?" Ben growled at the screen, "Bugs Bunny is sucking _the hell_ outta Lola Bunny's mouth! _That can't be no harm right?!_"

Kevin rolled his eyes.

_It was going to be three lonooooong days….._

o.o.o

Ben was reading a funny comic that Kevin picked out for him. Spread on the couch, lying on his tummy, he didn't notice Gwen walk over with the Anti-Half Drug kit.

"Shot time, cous!" she smiled, sitting beside him on the couch, to his right. Rolling on to his back, and sitting up, Ben stared at the kit, "Already?"

"Yup!" and she proceeded to do the same as Kevin did in the morning; she pulled out the syringe, peeled out a fresh needle, and propped it on to the syringe. Then came the vial of pale indigo liquid, and soon the syringe was three-fourth filled with the liquid. Gwen held it up like a nurse does, and smiled, "Alright, Ben, pull up your sleeves, right hand."

Hearing the same dialogue Kevin had ordered in the morning, Ben blinked at her, "I… I dunno Gwen; I'm feeling better already! It's not I'm gonna turn into -"

"Quit messing with me, Ben!" she laughed, "You can't be seriously scared of a syringe, Savior of the Universe!"

"Why does everyone bring _that_ up?!" Ben hissed, sighing, "Gwen, I don't wanna be poked with that!" Ben moved a little away, but before he could make a run for it, Gwen's manna tendrils curled on to his feet and waist, "Uh-uh-uh, Benny! Not so fast! You're not leaving till you have your shot and your tonic!"

"Please! Leave me!" Ben struggled. He did not notice Kevin walking over with another comic book in his hand, "Hey, Benji, check this out!"

That caught his attention, "What?", and Kevin replied by sitting on the left side of Ben, spreading the comic across his own lap, so Ben had to lean over to his left hand side, to see.

"Look at this really funny sequence!" Kevin grinned, and while Ben read, Kevin leaned back and gave Gwen a wink; at which she too grinned and slowly pulled up Ben's sleeve. Ben didn't even notice Gwen apply the anesthetic; and in a jiffy the needle went into the skin, injected the bloodstream with the drug, and pulled out. Ben was chuckling at the sequence Kevin showed him as a distraction.

"There. All done", Gwen packed the things back in place. Ben turned around in surprise, to see his sleeve folded up, and cotton taped on his arm, "Uhbu…whu?!"

Kevin snorted out a laugh, "You are such an airhead, Ben!" and he got up with the comic and left for the kitchen, still laughing at Ben naiveness. Ben gaped at Gwen, who shrugged helplessly, and left for the laundry.

"Urrrghhhh!"

o.o.o

Lunch was even cooler.

Ben sat on the couch like a little, lost puppy; watching everyone bustle in and out the kitchen, all sorts of odd smells emanating from the room.

Soon, he was ushered to the table, where he sat; watching the three setting the dish in front of him.

Delicious pasta dressed in a red sauce that was thankfully not making him want to turn into a Vulphorous. Beaming at the hot waft of steam issuing off the food, Ben squeaked, "What is it?"

Kevin smiled, "It's a simple thing though; and I made sure the red colour doesn't bother you. It's Pasta with Caponata Sauce."

Ben gazed at the three faces looking expectantly at him saying, "Go on, Ben; have a bite and tell us how it is! It's our first time cooking as a trio; just want to make sure it's ok!"

Ben pressed his fork into the food, and swept a mouthful in. The rest three held their breaths. Ben paused his hand with the fork in mid air, as he chewed ever so slowly, letting the taste-buds on his tongue savor every moment of it. His eyes brimmed as his cheeks flushed, "Oh, my God! It's AMAZING!" he never knew there was such a beautiful side to vegan food!

"Alrigght!" the three cheered. Kevin raised out both his hands, and each girl gave him a high five; following which they gave him a victory hug. Ben kept chugging at the pasta like he was going to die the next minute and might not make it to completing the food!

"Woah-oh! Slow down, kid! We don't want you choking on our success, do we?!"

"There's plenty for everyone!" Julie squeaked, rushing to the kitchen to serve their pasta for each other.

"I'm totally famished!" Gwen sighed as she followed her.

Soon, all four tucked in; munching away happily, Ben smiling ear to ear. He definitely loved the atmosphere; and when he had previously feared of being isolated and being left out, here he was treated like he was the most important thing in the whole wide world.

o.o.o

Ben had dozed off; a short, nap on the couch. In his dreamless state, he suddenly smelt...peaches. An alluring smell of beautiful peaches. So lady-like and feminine.

He opened his eyes slowly, and blinked at the source of the peachy scent.

Julie.

She was leaning over him, smiling sweetly, "Did I scare you, Ben?" Ben sat up, shaking his head, "Uh,..no..its ok... whats up?" he ran his fingers through his hair.

Julie held up the Anti-Half drug kit.

Uh oh.

"You need to take your shots now, Ben."

Ben watched mutely as she sat down beside him and repeated everything that the other two teens had done. Soon enough, she held the full syringe in her hand and spoke in her soft, fluid voice, "Please pull up your sleeve, Ben. The right hand that is."

It was a surprise that Ben _did _roll up his sleeve. He looked around for Kevin or Gwen who would like to sweep in and distract him; making him a fool while Julie gets to pierce his skin. He wanted to show himself, and the two who were peeping in case, that he could bear the needle go through him without being distracted like a kid.

"Ben, relax; I'm not cutting off your arm for you to look so brave and serious!" Julie smiled, her large brown eyes shining kindly. Ben frowned unsure, "I dunno; I'm honestly scared of syringes. And clowns."

"Well, _I'm_ not a clown, and this syringe will not bite you; so you don't have to be scared", she was so gentle that Ben was feeling quite calm. Ben blinked at her fair face, "Ok, but be-be gentle!"

"Of course I will; I won't stab you, will I?"

Ben looked away as she neared the needle's sharp point towards his skin. She realised the tense situation he was in, and spoke, "If I gave you a kiss; would you promise to calm down and take a deep breath?" Ben turned to look at her and tilted his head like a little canary, "A kiss?"

"On the cheek. I'm not your sexual attraction to be scared of arousing you, right?"

Ben smiled.

True that Julie wasn't his sexual attraction, but she was so cute and gentle that he would definitely like a peck or two. "Ok", he whispered. She smiled, leaning in on him and pressing her thick rose-bud lips on his right cheek. He took a deep breath enjoying the tingling sensation spreading over his cheek, dissolving into the nice, un-romantic but beautiful feeling. Even when she pulled back, Ben was smiling in a daze, altogether remembering his…mom. Lost in his sublime childhood-thoughts, he didn't even know it when the needle went into his skin and came out after its job well done.

"There", she smiled, "All done. Now, for the tonic."

Ben's daze came to an abrupt end. "_What?_ Ew….!" The look on his face made Julie almost _feel_ the sickening effect on him.

"Aw! Ben, just a lil' spoon?" Julie smile-pouted. It was too adorable; Ben gave in without a fight, swallowing the disgusting liquid without a thought when Julie offered the spoon towards his mouth.

"Good Ben!" she pecked him on the cheek again, and he smiled like a little boy rewarded by his mom for having completed his homework.

Julie skipped like a fairy, to her way upstairs, offering the kit to Kevin and Gwen who had watched the whole thing with their mouths open. She placed the kit on Kevin's outstretched hands even as he gazed stupidly at her.

"He didn't even scream _once_!" Gwen gaped.

"Julie; you're amazing!" Kevin gasped.

Julie smiled again, a victorious squeak, "All cute things come in Japanese packages!"

o.o.o

Ben gaped at the sight of Kevin running down the stairs in his apron. Normally, Ben would have spat out in laughter, but Kevin's apron was not the pink girly frilly ones,; it was the black austere kind that male chefs wear at posh restaurants. What made Ben gape was the fact that Kevin was UP the stairs….?

He had a piece of paper clutched in his hand as he took off for the kitchen. "What's that, Kevin?" Ben asked innocently. Kevin just _had_ to pause to a voice like that, and answered with a smile, "A recipe I got off then net!" and he disappeared into the kitchen.

Ben gaped a bit more. They were going out of their way to make him special dishes that would make his restricted food options enjoyable.

Ben smiled lovingly to himself, "I am the most blessed Vulphorous-human in the Universe!"

Thankfully, Ben was realizing the positive sides of his 'condition'.

After a long time….

"OH MY GOD! What's that awesome smell! Mmmmmmm…! Yummy!" Ben lolled out his tongue and slid his way from the couch to the kitchen, but he was picked up like a potato sack and dropped back on to the couch by the tall, lean, male teen, "No way, Benji! Dinner time and _then_ we'll let you have a bite!"

"But what IS it for dinner?!" he mewed innocently.

"God, stop making those eyes, Tennyson!" Kevin turned away as if Ben were Medusa, which he reminded himself, was utterly a wrong description.

"You'll know when we let you!" Kevin finalized before going back to the kitchen.

Ben bore all the painful temptation to peep into the kitchen. Damn, he didn't even have the Omnitrix, or he could have turned into Big Chill and swept himself invisible into the kitchen, which was locked from the inside to prevent Ben from entering.

"What _are_ they doing from in there?" Ben wondered, "I hope it's nothing nasty!"

Ben shook his head when he suddenly thought of threesomes.

Finally, the three stepped out, "Tadaaa!" Ben stood up quickly and rushed over to them, only to be turned around and led to the table, and made to sit down.

"Sorry we took time!"

Ben looked down at the two large dishes. From each a slice was put into his plate in elegance. Ben looked up at the three, "Any names?" though he already guessed them, halfway.

"Veggie Tofu Lasagna with Spinach; and French Bread Veggie Pizza" Julie answered happily.

"That's so cute!" Ben squeaked, rubbing his hands together. In a single swipe, Ben stuffed a mouthful of lasagna from his fork, "WOAH! That's the best _ever_!" and a bite out of the pizza, "Veggie pizzas rock! _I love it! Both of them!_ Are you sure I have to share all this with you three? 'Cause I'm not sure whether I'll leave any behind!"

Kevin, Julie and Gwen gave out a happy, "Hey, leave some for us! We worked hard at it!" jumping at Ben who reached out to grab the whole tray of Lasagna.

Another success for the three cooks-in-making. Life was fun!

o.o.o

Night falls.

"I just had the best day ever!" Ben smiled as Kevin tucked him into his bed. In the darkness, Kevin's pearly whites shone as he grinned, "So you wanna stay a Vulphorous forever?!"

"Jerk! You always ruin everything!" Ben frowned, looking away, making Kevin laugh as he sat beside him on the bed.

"C'mon Benji, I was just joking!" he took Ben's slim hand, pressing it gently to make the brunette turn to face him again; and he was successful, because Ben _did_ turn, his eyes fixated on the caramel eyes looking warmly at him, "We worked really hard to make you happy; to always keep you smiling and laughing; we don't ever want you to feel plagued by a virus that has only a 95% chance of being removed."

Ben looked at him eyes wide, "Only 95%? You mean there's a 5% chance we _don't_ get the Antidote?"

"Fuck, it was stupid I said that", he shook his head, "What I'm trying to say is, keeping you happy and safe is our main goal till our voyage to Tetraxia; so if there's anything bad your feeling, or any thoughts you want to share with us, spill it. Ok?"

Ben looked at the intense kaleidoscope that was Kevin's eyes; and he nodded like a kid, "Ok."

"And I'm happy to know that you're happy", Kevin whispered, and unknowingly he closed his eyes and pressed his lips tenderly to the knuckles of the slim hand he held. The very next moment, Kevin's eyes shot open and he lowered the hand, looking nervous, "Sorry, I shouldn't have…"

Ben smiled at him sweetly, not a trace of any ravenous hunger or unbearable lust forming anywhere in his eyes. He was just so happy and warm, to be loved and wanted like this.

Kevin took a deep breath to calm himself, placing the brunette's hand back on his tummy, "Goodnight, Ben."

"Goodnight, Kevin."

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_gyaaaa! i suck at writing when it comes to food! :3 i dont even know if lasagna and pizza is a good combo, although i read on the net that there is a thing calld 'lasagna pizza' so i went with it._**

**_IF Goddess-if-da-cheeseburgers is reading this; pls dont kill me! (blink blink) i knw ure a culinary student; i hope i havent offended you with this chapter._**

**_pls reviewwww! :) :) :) and pls ignore the spelling mistakes if any!_**

**_(ps: next two chaptrs will not have a very detailed day 2 and day 3 , but theres stuff happening... and scylasama, pls wait for the voyage! aaaalmost there!)_**


	12. Day 2 makes a monster!

**_ok, a filler chapter :)_**

**_day 2... _**

**_warning : this story contains boyxboy / yaoi _**

**_disclaimer : i donot own anything except the idea :P_**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE _**

**_Chapter twelve : Day 2 makes a Monster!_**

The Day 2 started out as Day 1; with Gwen who woke Ben up by tickling him almost to death. The poor brunette couldn't stop giggling even after she was done with the shot, _and_ the tonic!

Breakfast went like yesterday too; something cooked especially and lovingly only for Ben.

Things were going smooth for a while. But, only for a WHILE.

o.o.o

It is only that when we lose something that we realize it's importance.

It is only when we search for something that we realize that it's missing.

It is only when Ben was prohibited from looking at Kevin in the wrong way, that he realized that he had only been aware of one-fourth of Kevin's sex appeal that seemed to have doubled in magnitude.

Ben stared longingly like a lost puppy from the couch, as Kevin walked in and out of the living room, to take this or that; and the green eyes would swing like a pendulum watching the sexy raven walk, talk, stretch or yawn, unaware of the burning green gaze he was frequently scanned with.

At times, the brown eyes would meet the large saucer-sized emerald ones, and Kevin would smile as he rummaged through the shelf for his car magazine that specified how to fix certain leaks, "Whazzup, babe?" and Ben would shrug shyly, "Nothing special."

There was a limit to how much a heart-in-love can bear! Ben sadly thought of the times when he could hug that beach-bod; press kisses anywhere he wanted….

Ben whimpered as he felt a hot sensation in the back of his throat, "Ow…" he rubbed his neck, gulping to relieve the burn, which didn't work much.

"Is everything ok, Tennyson?" Kevin asked, seeing Ben's uncomfortable face.

"I'm just a lil' thirsty, I guess…my throats parched."

"Say no more!" Kevin disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared with a glass of fresh lemon juice, "Vitamin C and a lot of taste; here you go!" he handed the brunette the glass which had ice cubes floating in it. Ben gulped it down in a single swish, liquid and cubes; the cold drink washing down his tingling esophagus, relieving him momentarily, "Ah….."

Ben's moan had Kevin gazing at him. Blinking to avoid any further development of his fantasies, Kevin knelt afore Ben, "How's the throat now?"

Ben frowned, "Still itchy…" he tried coughing, "I feel like I just swallowed a hedgehog!"

Ben got up from his seat, Kevin got up too. Gripping his throat Ben stumbled about the room, making Kevin nervous, "You ok, Tennyson?..."

"No, I'm ok,…" Ben put out a hand and waved it as if to shoo Kevin away, "I'll manage. Must be the drug and virus fighting inside me." He turned to see Kevin look at him with concern, "It's ok, Kevin; just go back to what you were doing!" he tried to smile, but his throat was killing him, and now his neck was warming up.

Stumbling, Ben caught hold of the glass showcase, where Kevin had kept the Stereo Music System.

_Click!_ , went the system when Ben caught one of it's switches. Almost immediately, strong drums and guitars sounded in the air, volumes to the maximum. Clearly, Alan had forgotten to turn down the volume-dial after switching the system off.

Gwen and Julie looked at each other in surprise when powerful music flowed from the living room into the kitchen they were in. Julie's eyes widened, "I know that song….its Skillet's song Monster! Only, this is faster in pace than its original! What the hell is Kevin thinking by putting _that _when Ben's in the room?!"

The song started….

* * *

_The secret side of me; I never let you see; I keep it caged but I can't control it…_

_So stay away from me; the beast is ugly; I feel the rage and I just can't hold it…_

* * *

Kevin froze, as the music tore through the air in powerful waves; Ben stumbling against the wall, the words of the song sinking into his brain like water into sponge; his head burning, hurting, searing…

"Ben….?" Kevin called, though his voice was hard to hear against the singer who continued to scream.

* * *

_It's scratching on the walls; in the closet; in the halls; it comes awake and I can't control it;_

_Hiding under the bed; in my body; in my head; why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?.._

* * *

Gwen and Julie ran into the living room and stopped at the threshold only to hear the music, and see Kevin pale with his eyes fixated on Ben who had his head low against the wall for support. Gwen's eyes widened, "Ben hasn't had his shot yet, has he?"

Julie answered, "No, I'm supposed to give it to him in an hour…..oh my God!"

Ben's hair was changing color.

And the singer screamed in full force…

* * *

_I FEEL IT DEEP WITHIN; IT'S JUST BENEATH THE SKIN; I MUST CONFESS THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

_I HATE WHAT I'VE BECOME; THE NIGHTMARE'S JUST BEGUN; I MUST CONFESS THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

* * *

"Gyaaarghhh!" the song's powerful music and words stimulated the virus just enough to let loose hell. Ben turned around, his teeth being a row of shiny, carnivorous incisors; grinning like he had on the full moon night.

* * *

_I, I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER! _

_I, I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

* * *

"Holy shit!" Kevin's face went paler still, stepping back from his position. Ben's hair was now pitch black and blue; his teeth were now a wolf's; but he still looked a human. But the grin on his face was pure animal. His flat chest rose and fell slowly, his eyes, still the same size, fixed Kevin in it's vision.

Gwen and Julie quivered in terror, "What do we do now?!" Julie trembled, holding tightly on to Gwen's arm.

"M-maybe we have to give Ben his shot! Right now! It might suppress the Half!"

And the song continued without any pause…

* * *

_My secret side I keep; hid under lock and key; I keep it caged but I can't hold it…._

_'Cause if I let him out; he'll tear me up; he'll break me down; why won't somebody come and save me from this , make it end?..._

_I FEEL IT DEEP WITHIN; IT'S JUST BENEATH THE SKIN; I MUST CONFESS THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

_I HATE WHAT I'VE BECOME; THE NIGHTMARE'S JUST BEGUN; I MUST CONFESS THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

_I FEEL IT DEEP WITHIN; IT'S JUST BENEATH THE SKIN; I MUST CONFESS THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

_I, I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER! _

_I, I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

* * *

As the song flowed strongly, Ben growled, "Oh…yeaarrhhh!" as he stretched, his skin going blue and furry, claws tore slowly out of his fingernails and toes, a tail tearing out from his pants' waist. His muscles were growing, stretching, his shirt and pants tightening as he slowly outgrew them…

Kevin stepped back, his mouth wide open; that same dread striking him repeatedly on the navel. He turned to his right to see Gwen gesturing at him wildly. Julie waved the Anti-Half Drug kit in her hand. Kevin put two and two together. He had to get Ben to sit still while they try to give him the shot.

Or one bite and Kevin's going to be history.

Ben was now a complete Half; his form was smaller than the Full, but he no longer looked like Ben; he looked half-wolf, half-human; an odd amalgam of Wolverine and Hulk. The very thought was disturbing!

He was grinning from ear to ear, his sharp teeth so polished and new, that Kevin could see several reflections of himself in them; even though he was a good distance from the Half.

* * *

_I__t's hiding in the dark; its teeth are razor sharp; there's no escape for me; it wants my soul; it wants my heart…_

_No one can hear me scream; maybe it's just a dream; MAYBE ITS INSIDE OF ME; STOP-THIS-MONSTER!_

* * *

"You hear that?" Ben growled greedily, "That's _my_ song…!"

"Ben; please; hold it! Just stay calm!" Kevin tried to reason with the Half; but it was like trying to reason with a cannibal who hasn't eaten for days!

Besides, his voice was nothing against the blaring guitars, drums and instruments that went along with the song as the singer growled…

* * *

_I__ feel it deep within; its just beneath the skin; I must confess that I feel like a monster!_

_I HATE WHAT I'VE BECOME; THE NIGHTMARES JUST BEGUN; I MUST CONFESS THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

* * *

"Ben! Hold yourself together!" Kevin called out, when Ben lurched at him in full force. Jumping aside wisely, Kevin avoided one bite. Ben turned and pounced on him again, "_Come back!_"

* * *

_I FEEL IT DEEP WITHIN; IT'S JUST BENEATH THE SKIN; I MUST CONFESS THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

_I'VE GOTTA LOSE CONTROL; HE'S SOMETHING RADICAL; I MUST CONFESS THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

* * *

Again, he marched at Kevin, who jumped narrowly escaping the jaws, as Julie loaded the syringe with shaking hands, Gwen keeping a watch on Kevin.

* * *

_I, I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER! _

* * *

Again, the Half pounced, pinning him on the floor, gripping Kevin's wrists with both his clawed fingers. Kevin simultaneously adsorbed metal from a nearby table, and hence, the claws were not able to bruise him.

* * *

_I, I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

* * *

"Ben! Don't!" Kevin struggled, his metal coated face frowning in fear and resentment. Well, damn the music system that still played the music.

* * *

_I__, I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!_

* * *

Kevin felt that Ben's green eyes were growing bigger; maybe that's because his face was coming closer towards Kevin's. "God, no!" Kevin panted, feeling the hot breath of the hungry Half on his face and neck.

Gwen had aimed a manna catapult in her hand, with the syringe in load. With a _twack!_ it shot at Ben's back, the strong needle piercing the skin. All Kevin had to do was free one hand, put it around the broad abdomen in a very sudden motion and pump the piston of the syringe. Successfully, the drug injected itself into Ben, who roared out in anger, lashing his arm at Kevin's.

* * *

_I, I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER !_

* * *

And the song ended.

In the two minutes and thirty seven seconds span of the stimulating song, Ben had turned into a Half, attacked Kevin, and had his afternoon shot for the day. Now, the silence in the room was more thunderous than the song itself. Ben gripped his wolfish head in pain, growling repeatedly, till the fur faded, the black turned brown, and the sharp incisors shrank to his normal teeth. The syringe fell on the floor, needle snapped in two.

"Urhhhh", Ben groaned, now completely in his human form, swaying as he held his head. Kevin got up from his position on the floor, standing up and watching Ben closely. The said brunette slowly came to his senses. He could see double of everything, his vision zooming in and out of focus, "K-k….Kevin…."

At the feeble sound of his name, Kevin raced to his beloved, grasping him just when the slender legs were giving away. As he held the limp form of Ben, Kevin whispered, "Ben, it's ok; it's all over!" and that was when the green eyes raised, fixing themselves on the caramel pair looking down at him in relief.

It all came to Ben now. He had attacked Kevin. Almost bitten him the second time.

Ben's eyes fell on the metal skin of the osmosian that was soon de-adsorbed. Blinking at the raven, Ben's eyes brimmed in tears, his cheeks going pink, his eyebrows furrowing, "I almost bit you…._again_…"

"Ben, its ok, it was - "

"_I almost bit you again!"_ Ben whispered in regret and pain. In a sudden shove, he pushed Kevin away from himself, the words of the song still ringing and singing in his ears. He stumbled, but he soon found his balance, walking backwards, away from Kevin.

"Ben…"

"_Don't come near me!_" Ben cried out when Kevin tried to approach him. Ben's tear-streaked face turned to his left to see Julie and Gwen, both still under the shock of the two minutes that passed in such frightening confusion and drama. Now, they looked at him, concern flashing in their feminine eyes.

"Don't come near me..." Ben repeated, to all three, before suddenly running off, up the stairs. There was the sound of a door being opened and slammed shut. And the click of a lock.

"Damn", Kevin sighed, running his hands through his hair, "He's locked himself in his room."

"What just happened?!" blinked Gwen, shaking her head in the aftermath of the confusion. Kevin was obliged to answer, "He accidentally switched on the system; and the song obviously got the virus going insane. Doctor Stacy did tell about watching out for songs that could turn Ben crazy."

"Maybe we should run through your playlists, Kevin; just in case Ben switches it on again, and happens to hear any other song like this one?" Julie suggested, still feeling a little numb at the sudden actions they had to accomplish. It was all thanks to their instinct and sudden ingenuity that they managed to get Kevin unharmed.

"Yeah, you're right", Kevin nodded gravely, and then looked at the stairs, "I guess we should let Ben have a lil' time alone to himself; then I'll go talk to him. Doctor Sands told me that Ben needed company and love to keep him from depression. God, already his emotions are so wild! And now _this_!"

So, together, they 'filtered' Kevin's music system; removing all the 'dangerous' songs into Gwen's memory card. Not a lot of songs were left in the system once they were done. It seems Kevin listened to exactly those kind of songs that was prohibited to Ben!

How ironic fate is…!

o.o.o

An hour had passed since Ben had locked himself in his room.

"Tennyson", Kevin knocked on the door, "Open up, darling!" but Ben wouldn't give out even a squeak to show that he was listening. Kevin sighed. Pressing himself against the door, he spoke, "Please, Ben! I gotta talk to you!"

"Go away!" came the muffled answer. He sounded very much like a child who sulked at the loss of a valuable toy.

"Tennyson, you can't tell me to go away! You know I cant go away either! Just open the door; we'll talk through this! Hey, its not just romantic stuff that's dangerous for you; being very sad and angry can make you a Half too!"

Kevin hoped that Ben would listen this time. And he was rewarded for hoping so because Ben clicked open the lock, and only let the door widen a teensy bit; just enough for him to peer at the raven reluctantly.

His eyes were red and puffy. Ben had been crying.

"Benji…" Kevin smiled sadly, pushing open the door more, only to be resisted by Ben , "Don't; or I might go Vulphorous again; … I'm dangerous."

"Whatever", Kevin whispered, pushing at the door. It was obvious that Kevin was strong enough to tear down the door along with Ben clinging to it; and hence Ben was not successful in keeping Kevin out of the room. The raven stepped in, and Ben quickly retreated into his bed where he had been sitting, hugging his knees, face distorted with a look of despairing guilt and repentance.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself", Kevin sat down beside him, facing the slimmer youth. Ben looked away, his face sinking further into the hammock of his crossed hands, "I guess my burning throat was a sign to show that I was transforming…"

"Yeah. And we didn't know. But, now we do; and the next time you feel that your gonna transform, you are free to run in here and hide like how a five year old hides from closet-monsters!"

A half-hearted chuckle issued from Ben, which soon went dead. "Kevin; what if we don't get the Antidote? Will I have to constantly isolate myself from you, forever? Will I never get to kiss you again?"

Kevin's facer softened, his eyes were kind as he whispered, "You don't have to worry about that; 'cause we ARE getting the Antidote; come hell or high water!"

"But - "

"Uh-uh, no; don't think about 'what if's and depress yourself; think about things that make you smile, or laugh; things that make you happy. You remember what Doctor Sands told us, right?"

Ben nodded, understanding what Kevin was implying."You're not…scared of me, are you?" Ben spoke in a small voice, barely audible.

"Scared?! And then run off like a girl?! Fat chance!" Kevin grinned.

Ben stared at him blankly; he could see that Kevin was trying to make things better and less troublesome. After all the pain Ben had caused to him, Kevin still looks at him as if he was worth more than a thousand diamonds. Even the girls took the pains to help him, because they loved him.

And how was Ben thanking them? By trying to have Kevin for lunch.

"Maybe I should have been at the quarantine…."

"_Ben!"_ Kevin snapped sharply, "You talk about that, and I'll _smack_ you _right _across the face; Vulphorous or not! You hear me?!"

Ben looked at him in dismay; why was it so hard to not love this guy? Because even his threats echoed with passion in them.

Ben hung his head into his hands, "I'm sorry…"

"No; _we_ are sorry. We shoulda removed the potent songs. This time, we've made sure nothing in the music system is going to make you dance with the devil, ok?"

Ben nodded, trying to smile in an effort to lighten the situation. But he was weak, and his smile came like that of a monkey who mistook a radish for an apple.

Kevin laughed at the face, making Ben pout. Shaking his head, Kevin smiled widely, "Quit brooding, Ben! It's almost time for lunch! And you wanna know what we made this time, right?"

Ben smiled, this time, properly, "Yeah,…what is it?" he was curious as always.

"Suspense, my dear", he grinned mysteriously, "Let Mr. Levin teach you a lil' suspense!"

Ben pouted again, comically however. He was feeling better already, although a little hungry.

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_ok, so yeah; im soooo into Skillet's Monster! _**

**_but, i repeat as before, its the faster version. i just listened to the original version, and i was like, "wtf! its like in slow motion!"_**

**_oh well. this is my first song-chapter. ive written a songfic too as , but only a mention of it, in my story Hard Candy, Soft Core Just As Sweet. in that fic, i mentioned the song My First Kiss._**

**_either way, i hope you all enjoyed my odd song chappie! day 3 has one too!...oopsie. shudnt have said tht. :P_**

**_as always, Kevin rocks!_**

**_I, I feel like a monster! (actually; i, i feel kinda hungry)_**


	13. Day 3 makes a cannibal!

**_:3 new chapter after a two days' break! :)_**

**_warning : this story contains boyxboy / yaoi_**

**_disclaimer : i donot own anything except the story. ben ten and its awesome series are owned by a group of ppl named Man of Action who were awesome enuf to make kevin a good guy in Alien Force! :) luv them!_**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_Chapter thirteen: Day 3 makes a cannibal!_**

Three days seemed like three years. But a lot has happened.

Kevin sighed deeply as he lazily picked up his towel from his cabinet. He walked in much of a boredom, for every time he would go for a bath, Ben would be with him, clinging to his arm, anticipating the intimacy of a wet-skinned Kevin; but here was the raven walking alone to his bathroom.

Man, this sucked.

The hot water hit the raven hair in a rapid pace; the steam was blurring the glass sliding-doors. Usually, he would enjoy the feeling of the prickling heat that ran and raked across his bare, tight skin, but his mind was so full of Ben that he could all but sigh sadly while making sure he didn't choke himself with the steamy water. Absentminded, he leaned his head against the marble-tiled wall, almost smiling as he closed his eyes and imagined the times he had spent with Ben in here. The walls and the glass door were frequent witnesses of the two erotic males, sliding, embracing, kissing...

Kevin's eyes shot open. It didn't do good to think of all that. Of course, he was not a Vulphorous to be under prohibition of such thoughts; but it hurt so much, the temptation ate away inside of him. The dreary, heavy longing would soon drive him as insane as Ben would be if he saw him this way.

Thinking back to today's disasters, Kevin made up his mind that if he had the power to make the sun move faster than it would, he would throw it across the sky to make the day Ben is finally cured; because to this pessimistic osmosian, Ben was everything. Happiness, satisfaction, the beautiful warm feeling of being loved which he had never been showered with in his childhood.

Kevin groaned again.

o.o.o

What had happened today was very much like Day 2.

Today, on Day 3; Ben sat dumb-like on the couch, flipping through the channels of the T.V. Occasionally he laughed when a comedic sitcom succeeded in interesting him. Or he would put on a CD and laugh away at the comedic movies Kevin deliberately chose for him. Or he would read some of the Sumo Slammer comics Kevin owned. Or play games on Xbox which didn't have graphic violence or blood.

At times, Ben would pout to himself in wonder, whether he should pay a visit to Kevin's secret stash of gay porn comics which he had obtained from a Japanese friend in the black-market years ago. Actually, Kevin never _told_ him about the collection; Ben had stumbled upon it in surprise, and man, wasn't he pleased. He had whiled away his time reading them in pleasure when Kevin had been away for his solo mission. And almost too often, poor love-sick Ben would have to take quick trips to the bathroom when he had helped himself to a little too much of graphic sex.

Ben shook his head. No, he couldn't cheat Kevin, and Gwen and Julie, by helping himself to things that could bring out his 'wild' side, while the three teenagers were so dedicating to keeping himself from turning into a Half.

Ben dropped the remote on the table and wandered off upstairs.

Kevin's room was a no-go area; Ben easily remembered Doctor Stacy specify Kevin's clothes and perfume as factors that could not have good consequences on him. So, Ben had to steer reluctantly to the next room, which was one of the marvels that Kevin's hoard of technology could accomplish; it was an attachment sort of thing, the room never existed, and all Kevin did was pull out an odd alien device and voila! There was a new door and a comfy temporary room that the girls could share.

It had been blue, but Gwen made it pink with one of her colour spells. Ben wandered into the room, looking at the two feminine beds with their girly bear-strewn covers. Low lighting and smelling of flowers, the room was an epitome of 'teenage girls'. Ben chuckled.

"Kevin would _never _have dreamed of having a girly, pink, flowery room in his machismo-house!"

Walking about, Ben spotted Gwen's purple iPod with the white earphones still plugged. It sat in a heap on her desk, its LED light blinking to show that it was switched on.

"She musta forgotten to switch it off last night." Gwen had the habit of listening to songs and audio tutorials in Spanish, during the night till she fell asleep. Ben knew that.

Picking up the slim device, he switched it awake from its sleep mode. Bored, and with nothing better to do, he went through her playlist, yawning at the names of lovey-dovey songs. Thankfully, Ben never liked listening to slow dramatic love songs; they simply put him to sleep. His green eyes browsed song from song as he dwelled deeper in her collection.

All together, his finger that had been clicking the 'next' switch stopped in mid click. The name of a particular song caught his attention. The light-blue LED light of the small screen reflected in his emerald pools of interest.

"Cannibal", Ben read to himself, "By Ke$ha."

Blinking to himself, he wondered, "I never heard of this one before? Musta slipped my notice."

It did not even _occur _to the naive brunette what the song could turn out to be what with its obvious name. Even if he had suspected it to be bad, his curiosity to listen to the song would have overtaken his mind anyway.

Unaware of the doom to follow, Ben happily plugged the white earphones to his ears and clicked 'Play'.

* * *

_...Rawr!_

_...Rawr!_

_I have a heart, **I**_ _**swear **__**I do**__; __but just not baby when it __**comes to you**__._

_I get so __**hungry **__when you say you __**love me**__; _**_HUSH_**_ if you know what's good for you._

_I think you're hot, __**I think you're cool**__; __you're __**the **__kinda guy __**I'd stalk in school.**_

_But now that I'm famous, you're up my __**anus**__; _**_Now I'm gonna eat you, fool!_**

* * *

Ben stumbled in awe as he walked down the corridor. The music was imprinting into his head, his ears were blaring in it. The words were what he could relate to; but fearfully, it was also relatable to the virus that grinned maliciously from inside of him. This was perfect 'food for thought'.

* * *

_I eat boys up; breakfast and lunch; __then when I'm thristy, I drink their blood._

_Car-ni-vore animal; I am a cannibal; __I eat boys up; __**you better run!**_

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; cannibal; I AM !)_

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; I'll eat you up; I AM !)_

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; cannibal; I AM !)_

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; I'll eat you up; I AM !)_

* * *

Ben reached the bottom of the stairs where he stood in a dazed manner. Obviously, his conscience was as soft as clay, easily moulded by whatever that comes to smack into it. Almost as if under a spell, one woven by the mad Ke$ha herself, Ben's green eyes fell on the very object he should _not_ be looking at right now, given the circumstances.

Kevin.

Lime-green optics, flickering in oddly-growing lust, blinked calmly. They watched the raven who, unaware of Ben, had walked into the living room. Ben was conveniently drawn into the shadows beside the stairs, so he was not even noticed as he eyed his prize.

Kevin had spread a lot of important Plumber documents on the table, and was now busy sorting through them. His face was well in Ben's view and it did _not_ help put down the lust at all. All too unfortunately, Ben remembered how Kevin had tucked him into bed last night stating, "You're my pretty, little Ben; and I won't give you up for anything! Now go to sleep like a good boy, and wake up tomorrow to know that there'll only be another twenty four hours left before we leave for Tetraxia!"

* * *

_When-ever you tell __**me I'm pretty; **__That's when the hunger __**really hits me.**_

_You're little heart goes __**pitter patter; **__I want your liver __**on a platter!**_

_Use your finger to stir __**my tea; **__and for dessert I'll suck __**your teeth;**_

_be too sweet and __**you'll be a gonner; **__I'll pull a __**Jeffrey Dahmer!**_

* * *

Ben did not even pay attention to the burning in his throat that was starting to tingle up and down in oesophagus. His conscience meekly identified the feeling as that he was...hungry.

* * *

_I eat boys up; breakfast and lunch; __Then when I'm thristy, I drink their blood._

_Car-ni-vore animal; I am a cannibal; __I eat boys up, __**you better run**__!_

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; cannibal; I AM !)_

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; I'll eat you up; I AM !)_

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; cannibal; I AM !)_

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; I'll eat you up; I AM !)_

* * *

In the back of his mind, Ben knew what was happening. He had fallen _right into_ this one; and no matter how hard he tried, his legs wouldn't move. He wanted to get away, or atleast turn away from the unbearably attractive osmosian who was smiling down at some paper he held in his hand. This was NOT going to end well.

* * *

_Oh woah-woah-oh ohhhhh;_

_Oh woah-woah-oh ohhhhh, ohh ohhh !_

* * *

_Move, Ben! Move! Walk away!,_ his mind told him; begged and pled, but his body was rigid, robotically scanning every move of his boyfriend's body, each and every of those moves were feeding the virus's strength to grow and grow.

* * *

Oh woah-woah-oh ohhhhh;

Oh woah-woah-oh ohhhhh, ohh ohhh !

* * *

Struggling on the inside, but perfectly and sinisterly calm on the outside, Ben lingered in the shadow of the stairs, watching...watching...watching... like a predator watches a prey.

* * *

Oh woah-woah-oh ohhhhh;

Oh woah-woah-oh ohhhhh, ohh ohhh !

* * *

The drums in the background of the music synchronised with the rise in his pulse.

This was only as much he could bear. His legs finally moved; but not away from Kevin; but _towards_ him. With a face dripping in darkened lust, Ben walked quietly towards the raven who was sitting on the chair with his back to the approaching brunette. He was twenty steps away from him.

_The back-biting attack! Classic, Ben; Classic!_ , his mind whimpered in fear and regret, no longer in power over the incredible force and dominance of the semi-aroused virus. A little more and Ben would start his transformation in the physical level.

* * *

Oh woah-woah-oh ohhhhh;

Oh woah-woah-oh ohhhhh, ohh ohhh !

* * *

Thanks to his sneakers, his soft steps were not noticed by Kevin, who continued his work. Picking up a bunch of papers, he stacked them neatly, and slipped them into a clear file. He then picked up another set. Ben was now only ten steps away from Kevin.

* * *

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; cannibal; I AM !)_

* * *

Another four steps. Kevin blinked down at the papers. "Who was supposed to give Ben his shots today afternoon?"

* * *

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; I'll eat you up; I AM !)_

* * *

Another four steps. And then Kevin remembered, "Oh yeah. Me!" Shrugging at his paperwork, his drummed his fingers indecisively, not able to decided whether to continue with his work, or to get Ben his shot. "It's not really time yet; I gotta wait for another hour or something..."

* * *

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; cannibal; I AM !)_

* * *

Another two steps. And then Kevin tapped his chin, "I _could _check up on him; make sure he's ok?" then he shook his head, "He must be lying down for a bit. I'll finish this up and then go to him."

* * *

_I...am...can-ni-bal ...(cannibal; I'll eat you up!)_

* * *

Kevin suddenly gasped, when two ice-cold hands suddenly gripped him on the shoulder. A sudden panic seized him for no reason.

* * *

_I love you._

_(chuckling)_

_ I waaaarned yoou...RAWR! – _

* * *

The song was over.

Kevin turned around, and found himself staring into a black-shirted tummy. Raising his head, he saw Ben, whose face was straight ahead, but eyes looking down at him, smiling like a zombie. With those green eyes, the sight was chilling. But, Ben was still in human physique, and the sneer seemed unjustified for a moment. Kevin blinked, "Tennyson?"

It didn't take an expert to know _that_ look in Ben's eye. Ben's lips slowly parted in a slow, frightening grin, "I love you."

Kevin raised an eyebrow, and that was when he noticed the white wires snaking out of Ben's ear and into his pocket. _Gwen's iPod_, Kevin guessed.

Everything happened very fast after that. Kevin's sudden rise from the chair, and Ben's sudden effort to bite him, all came simultaneously. The next moment, Ben found an insufferable object aimed at him, it's stench piercing into his sensitive nose. A Garlic Rod.

Ever since yesterday afternoon, that is, since Ben sudden turned into a half due to the effect of the song Monster; the three teenagers had secretly decided to carry a special Vulphorous Defence weapon; a Garlic Rod; a solid six-inch rod made of concentrated garlic extracts, moulded like a rod with a dagger-like hold. It was of no smell to a human, but it was_ hell_ to a Vulphorous.

Ben staggered back, frowning like a thunder cloud, gripping his nose in disgust, growling in irritation, "Get it away from me!"

Kevin was not going to chat around; he quickly snatched the Anti Half Kit that Ben had not noticed to be on the table. Baring his teeth, Ben reached out to grab the kit before Kevin could, but that was easier said than done, because not only was Kevin's hand longer, but he was also quicker. Ben found himself lying waist-upwards on the table, while Kevin was busy trying to fix the needle on to the syringe, and the fact that he was panicking was not very helpful. The virus inside Ben wasn't going to lie around while Kevin readied to suppress it.

Straightening up, Ben gripped the arms of the raven, only to be picked up by his own hands in backfire.

"I hate to have to do this to ya", Kevin groaned, and in a fluid motion, he swivelled Ben, and caught his arms twisted behind his back. Ben threw out his head and growled in pain, Kevin skilfully pushed his foot behind Ben's knees, and as a result, the brunette fell face-down on the floor, taking Kevin with him.

Ben squirmed angrily as Kevin sat on his small derriere whilst gripping his slim wrists behind his back with one hand. With his free hand, Kevin syringed the drug from the small vial. Throwing aside the vial, Kevin held the syringe in the proper position, and hissed, "Hold still, Ben!" and in reply, the rebellious Ben kicked his legs, putting Kevin off balance, and he nearly dropped his syringe. Seeing that Ben won't stay in submission, Kevin bend forward, pressing his chiselled chest onto the small spine, holding him down.

This was the only time Kevin was _reluctant_ to use his 'roguish charm'.

Leaning towards Ben's ear, whispering in a voice he moduled into what Ben has remarked months before as sexy, "_Ben, please_..."

Almost as if shot dead, the lean frame dropped all it's motion. The only thing that moved against Kevin was the Ben's heaving abdomen panting in his previous effort.

Jackpot.

His voice silenced Ben.

Before Ben could snap out of his sudden melt-down in a moment, Kevin carefully but swiftly injected Ben's arm with the syringe. Ben immediately moved again, but he quietened the next instant at the effect of the drug that snaked into his system. Kevin was panting too, with the panic and fear that struck him but failed to immobilise him. Now, he straightened up, slowly letting go of Ben's wrists, which, no longer bound, fell limp to Ben's either sides. There was a prevailing silence.

Two teenage girls ran in to the room.

"Everything all right?! We heard some screaming and...oh", Julie stopped in her tracks. She and Gwen stared at the odd scene; Kevin mounting atop Ben's butt, with an empty syringe in one hand; an expression of victorious relief spread across the handsome face.

"Just injected him; he attacked me", Kevin ran a hand over his own sweating face.

Gwen stammered in confusion, "W-what did he do this time, that got him to attack you?!"

Kevin reached around Ben's limp form and pulled out the purple-cased iPod. One glance at the song's name in the screen and he frowned. He held it accusingly towards the red-head in his hand, his eyes narrowing on her, "Cannibal."

Gwen gaped in surprise, "_My iPod?!_ Where the- why the- _mine_?!" she recoiled, while Julie patted her on the shoulder, "We filtered Kevin's music system. We had no idea he would take _ours_, Gwen. Don't blame yourself; blame our common-sense." She shook her head sanely.

Kevin gestured at Gwen to catch the iPod as he swung it to her. The device came flying to her and she caught it nimbly. She immediately browsed through her list with Julie's help, and then and there deleted all those songs that could put Kevin in risk.

Kevin slid off the small body, fearing he might crush him. He looked over at Ben's face; the green eyes were staring shocked at nothing, his face a little pale. Kevin softly held the shoulders and flipped the slim frame on his back. Ben stared at the ceiling, and squeaked, "What a rush..."

In reply, Kevin smiled weakly at him, swiping his hands over the small, pretty face, "I didn't hurt you when I made you fall, did I? No broken nose? Or bruised lip?"

Ben shook his head mildly, "No; just a broken heart and a confused brain", Ben raised his hand to his head, massaging his forehead. Kevin held back the urge to sigh in apology. He leaned out and helped the dazed brunette sit up, stroking his shoulder, "Does your head hurt too much?"

Ben looked at Kevin through his dishevelled brown fringe which raked over his eyes. Kevin smiled at him, and reached out to brush aside the stray hairs from his eyes, but Ben suddenly caught his wrist, "Don't. I'm in trouble already." Kevin looked a bit dismayed as Ben's surprisingly solid and cold face that stared back at him.

_He's finally growing out of his depression. He's being strong._

Kevin looked at him in a proud manner, "Ben..." but the brunette lowered his eyes, "And don't get me all emo; I'm trying not to!"

Kevin grinned, "Sorry" and he looked surprised when Ben gasped, "Oops!"

"Oops what?" Kevin asked. Ben had gasped whilst looking down, so Kevin followed his line of sight, and saw what Ben saw.

"Yeah...oops _you_", Kevin grinned. Humorously, there was a very-very-conspicuous bulge in Ben's pants.

"I _swear_, I dunno how that happened!" Ben looked embarrassed. Kevin laughed at him, "Cool it, Tennyson; it's not like it's the first time I'm seeing that!"

Ben blushed furiously, at which Kevin wondered, "Maybe it happened 'cause I sat on your butt", and Ben retorted, "_Or_, 'cause you fricking _flirted_ in my ear!"

Kevin laughed out again. The girls on the other hand were rather startled to see things going casually after the attack. They had expected Ben to run off to his room in sadness again. "Well, Ben's learning to man up!", Julie smiled wisely, whispering to Gwen in case the brunette yonder heard her comment.

Ben looked rather red in the face as he stood up. He felt even more uncomfortable to see Kevin observe his slim waist; with his muscular hands folded across his chest, and an interested smirk on his face.

"Dont _stare_, you ass!" Ben hissed between his teeth, his fists shaking at his either sides. Kevin's adventurous eyes left Ben's waist and rose to the green eyes instead. "Sorry", he smiled cheerfully, "Just judging how long it'll take ya to rid of it!"

Ben pouted angrily, and looked away. Then he turned to the raven again, but this time, with a sly smile, "How about _you_ do it for me?" Kevin rolled his eyes in reply, "Yeah, right! You _don't _want to know what comes after that! Even before you lose yourself, I'll lose _myself_!"

Ben pouted sweetly, "Pweese?" and Kevin sighed, turning him around by the shoulders and pushing him to walk, "We _both_ know that the answer to that is a 'no'!"

Ben smiled dreamily as Kevin pushed him towards the bathroom. At the door, Kevin paused, seized by a sudden want to join Ben, but he held back, fighting the urge. Ben turned from inside the bathroom, shrugging. "Should I leave the door open for you?" Ben teased flirtatiously, at which Kevin folded his hands again, scowling in mock-offense, "Shut the damn door, Ben!"

Ben's short laughter echoed from within the bathroom. After hearing the click of the lock, he turned around, running his fingers through his raven hair. He would have stayed outside the door, but predicting that the noises from inside the bathroom would lead him to a hard-on as well, he walked away, to the girls who still stayed in the same position as before.

"Uh,..? You guys are breathing, right?!" Kevin grinned at the sight of the two staring at him in awe.

Gwen shook her head as if trying to clear water from her ears, "What just happened?! One minute you guys are all serious, and the next you're all funny-like?"

Kevin thrust his hands into his pockets, and shrugged modestly, "My Benji is finally growing up!"

- End of Chapter -

* * *

_**yeah, after the two song-chapters; i am SO done with song fics for now! its so tiring!**_

_**but i cudnt help it! i too heard the song only recently and i was absolutely baffled at how similar the lyrics are to ben's Vulphorous condition! marvellous! cool song too!**_

_**oh, and thnk u scylasama and stuffedtoycuddler for your frequent reviews! :) luv u both!**_

_**pls review kindly ! i like +ve criticism! pls dont be mean! :3**_


	14. Meet Jack and Paulo

**_ok! new chapter!_**

**_Warning : this story contains boy x boy (its the 14th chapter for petes sakes! do i have to remind you?!)_**

**_disclaimer : i do not own ben ten alien force or its affiliated characters; coz they belong to Maaaan Uhf Aaccshuun!_**

* * *

**ITS A WILD LIFE**

**_Chapter fourteen : Meet Jack and Paulo_**

"Alright, Max; so we'll meet you there at nine. And remember, no Plumbers except you!" Kevin spoke into his cell-phone.

Kevin was arranging for Max, himself and Ben, to meet Jack Vortacon and Paulo Consor who said that they would land on Earth in a few hours. Kevin did go through a bit of trouble to get in contact with his buddies whom he hadn't met in years; but thankfully he managed, and now there were three more hours till he and Ben set out to the Alcove Caves; a secret foresty area on the fringes of Bellwood where Max usually held secret meetings with Kevin, Ben and Gwen.

Gwen and Julie decided to stay in the house while Kevin introduced his friends to Max and Ben. The girls said that they would meet the DBS guys when they set out for the journey.

o.o.o

Kevin drove the Camero smoothly across the road, while Ben, from the passenger seat, was smiling at the scenery outside. For the three whole days of sitting cooped-up in the Levin house, although he loved staying there, Ben felt nice to step out in the fresh air for once. He looked down longingly at the bare wrist of his left hand; it looked so odd without the nifty Omnitrix clasped on. Ben looked back out the window, wondering whether he had the luck to go sweeping through the air as Jetray or Big Chill anymore.

"A penny for your thoughts, Benji?" Kevin smiled as he stopped the car at the signal.

"Just thinking; about stuff..." Ben turned to him, there was a pleasant look on his pretty face, but there was also a mingling sadness in the green irises.

"Lemme guess", Kevin peered curiously into Ben's face, "You miss the Omnitrix?"

Ben's eyebrows shot up and he laughed, "How'd you know?!"

Kevin grinned, "You're stroking your wrist where the Omnitrix was." Ben smiled in reply, pushing playfully at his muscular arm, "You clever ass!"

Kevin chuckled.

Soon, the green car drove out to the road again, and in fifteen minutes they approached the Alcove Caves. The name was a misnomer, because Alcove Caves was not a bunch of caves at all; it was just a secluded clearing on the forest edges. Spaceships and alien vehicles could easily come and go from here without being spotted by the ever-inquisitive human race.

Ben stepped out of the car, stretching out, taking in a deep breath of the cool night air. "Ah; that feels good!" he smiled childishly, his cheeks flushed in joy, "It's nice to get out for once!"

Kevin smiled too, as he joined Ben, "Better get used to it; 'cause soon, we'll be going even _more_ out of this planet!"

Ben nodded happily. Looking out at the clearing they were in, he leaned against the car, folding his hands, "So; when is this Jack and Pablo coming?"

"Its Jack and _Paulo_", Kevin corrected him, "They're about as punctual as we are."

"In that case, they'll be five-minutes late", Ben shook his head.

Surprisingly, Ben's prediction was right; in about five minutes, a helicopter-like Jet was seen in the sky, appearing larger and larger as it descended from the sky. Ben and Kevin folded their hands over their heads as whirlwinds whipped around them; Ben's green coat flapping as if in the effort to tear off of him. In about a few seconds, the small spaceship landed several feet away from the two teens, its chopper-like blades whirring to a slow stop. With that, the blowing wind stopped too. Ben and Kevin straightened their locks that were blown to one direction.

Ben observed as the front door of the spaceship opened and a youthful blonde jumped out. He looked around for a bit, and then he seemed to spot them. Kevin put out his hand in the air and waved to signal that it was him. Immediately, the blonde guy broke into a happy sprint, reaching them in no time.

"KEVIN! Buddy! So good to see you, man!" the guy greeted in excitement. He clasped Kevin in a manly hug, which Kevin returned with a grin, "Good to see you too, Jack!"

Releasing themselves, the two stepped back to look at each other.

Jack was a young handsome Caucasian; with bright adventurous blue eyes and golden hair which was cut short, but he had a stylish fringe that licked his eyes every now-and-then, making him look indeed hot. He was dressed in a navy-blue tight-suit with several pockets and badges; the kind worn by spies. The fabric stuck tight to his skin and flattered his muscular body. He was muscular but lean as well; somewhere between Kevin and Ben in structure. His skilled fingers were sheathed in bikers gloves. Something about him rang 'Tech geek and ad-junkie'; he even had a Bluetooth-like device plugged to his right ear.

"Woah, Kev! You've changed a bit over the years, huh?!" Jack grinned at him in approval, and Kevin shrugged, "You still look the same, Jack!"

Jack laughed, "Ha! Doin' the same thing all the time, no wonder I look the same; but you, you are not DBS anymore, right? What are you doing now? I was so surprised to hear from you, and I sorta forgot to ask that!"

"Yeah, uh; I'm a good guy now", Kevin admitted in almost reluctant manner; being a bad-boy was a part of his charm!

"_What?!_ Seriously?!", Jack laughed openly, "How?!"

Kevin looked sideways pointedly, " 'Cause of Ben."

That was only when the blonde noticed Ben's presence. His blue eyes surveyed the brunette in awe, and he tapped his chin, "Ben?...you mean, Ben _Tennyson_?!" he was very much shocked.

"Uh, hi?" Ben smiled awkwardly. To be stared at like as if he was some sort of a blue unicorn, was a strange feeling.

"Oh my God! _You're Ben Tennyson?!_" Jack gaped, taking both of the slim hands into his own, his blue eyes shimmering, "I- I can't believe this! I'm _finally meeting_ the _Badass Omnitrix Wielder_! I have heard a lot about you across the Galaxy!" and he gave Ben a fan-like hug. Pulling back, he grinned, looking all over the petite brunette, "This is just _so _weird, I mean, when I first came to know about this human guy who obtained the most powerful gadget in the Universe; I kinda imagined this tall, macho guy who never smiles, or some guy who's very serious! But, _look at you_! You're so _CUTE_!"

Ben blushed visibly, looking into the beautiful blue eyes, "Uh-th-thanks!" and Jack peered at him curiously, "Seriously, you _are_ cute."

Kevin put his hand in front of Jack's face. "Back off! He's taken!" Kevin snapped in mock anger. Jack stepped back with a grin, "Oh? Haha! Lucky girl she is!", not quite guessing _by whom_ Ben is taken.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Jack gasped, "Where's the Omnitrix?! Isn't it supposed to worn like a watch or something? Or has it been modified?!" he looked at Ben's hands he held. He let go of the slim hands to fold his own across his chest, with his eyebrows raised questioningly at Kevin.

"Yeah, that brings us to the matter I need you to help us with", Kevin nodded gravely, "We had to take off the Omnitrix from Ben."

"Why?"

"Ben's now a Vulphorous."

Jack's face slowly changed; from his calm cheery countenance, to slow pallor, to shock, "Oh!" he looked at the pretty brunette, and still could not believe what he heard, "Oh!..ok? That's not good news!"

"It isn't. Which is why we need to get the Antidote from Tetraxia."

Ben obsereved that unlike the other people, the name 'Tetraxia' had no freak-out reactions from Jack.

"Well, I don't see why we _can't_! Anything to help the cute little hero, eh?" he winked at Ben, who chuckled. Kevin punched at Jack playfully, "You get your eyes off of him, Jack! You want to do something useful? Go toy with Paulo!"

In an instant, Jack's face turned berry red, "What?! _How_ many times do I have to repeat, even though it's been years, _that I don't have the hots for Paulo?!_"

"Yeah, that's what they _all_ say at first..." Kevin grinned sly and in tease. Ben looked startled, and asked Jack, "So you're gay too?!"

"_Too_?! I mean, no I'm not! But who else is?!" Jack looked at the two in awe. Ben blushed again, giving Jack half the answer he needed, "_No way_! Ben Tennyson is _gay_?!" his face was back in its sunshine glory.

"More like a Bi; he's had a few crushes on girls before", Kevin shrugged modestly.

"Oooh!" Jack seemed more pleased and interested than being disgusted as Ben had thought he would be. Jack was indeed a fun company!

"So, who's the Mystery Man?" Jack quirked up an eyebrow at Ben, with a great toothy grin plastered across his handsome face. Ben's cheeks flushed for the third time, but it was Kevin who answered, "There's no mystery about it", and he proceeded to hook a finger on the neck of his shirt and pull down the fabric to reveal a crescent-shaped scar running from his neck to his left shoulder.

Being a DBS, Jack had seen his fair share of Vulphori, and knew well about their history too. So, with one look at the scar, he knew it was a genuine Full Vulphorous bite. And the fact that Ben was a Vulphorous? He put two and two together and gaped, "_No way! You and Ben Tennyson?! Together?!"_

"Yup", Kevin smiled lovingly at Ben, slipping his arm around the smaller shoulder, "As tight as leotards!"

Jack's face radiated like newly-polished gold. "This _is so cool_! You both make a hot couple!"

"Thanks", Kevin smiled, "As do you and Paulo."

Jack scowled angrily, "Don't bring that up, you ass!", in reply Kevin merely went, "Hehe!"

Jack put a finger to his chin, "Wait a sec, is this the same Ben you used to talk about when you were a DBS? You know, the one who got you into the Null Void?"

Ben's heart went 'Ping!' to know that Kevin used to think of him even when they were enemies, "You used to talk about _me_?" he cooed, his green eyes shimmering in love and appreciation. Kevin looked at the smaller face and shook his head, "Don't look at me like that, Ben! Remember; even I have limited control too!"

"_Oh!_ So it IS this Ben! Sweet! And to think you had a crush on _the _Ben Tennyson!"

"You can quit calling him by his full name and use just 'Ben', in case you're wondering", Kevin pointed out with a grin.

"Sorry; but this is a _great hero_ we're talking about! And who is now you're _boyfriend_! Awesome!" Jack was clearly enjoying the secret, with a positive flair.

"Speaking of boyfriends, where's Paulo?" Kevin asked, looking at the spaceship that was sitting glum several feet away. Jack's laugh fell flat to a stop, "For the last time, Kevin! Paulo is not my - "

"Kehhhh-vvv-uuuuhh-nnnn!" came a feminine male voice singing over from the spaceship. A slim figure elegantly jumped off the door and raced towards them. At once, he was standing beside Jack.

Paulo was a few inches taller than Ben but shorter than both Kevin and Jack. With dark brunette hair and hazel eyes, he was rather femininely built, with a manly contour of small muscles. His hair was in all different lengths; the longest strands reaching his lower ribs; he had a messy fringe covering his forehead, long bangs framing the either sides of his face. The rest of his hair was open, behind him. He wore a pair of red-rimmed glasses, with two sliver chains, each one running from the ends of the frame to his neck. Two small silver skulls sat on those chains, and made it seem as if he wore earrings. He was dressed in the same uniform as Jack; and he was lean and elegant in structure. he too had the Blueetooth in his right ear.

"Oh! Kevin, you've grown more muscles! Hahaha!" Paulo laughed his silver laugh. Kevin scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, I get that a lot!"

"I was really pleased to hear from you after so long, Buddy!" he jumped on to Kevin giving him a warm hug, which Kevin returned. Ben simply looked on, in much of awe. Paulo pulled back, his eyes gleaming, "So; whazzup?! What do you do on Earth nowadays?!"

"I'm...a sidekick", Kevin answered awkwardly. Paulo stared at him stupidly, till he burst into laughter, "A what?!"

"Not a sidekick; that's too professional a term! Let's just say, Kevin is a very-good guy now", Ben spoke wisely.

Paulo stopped laughing, gazing at the small brunette in wonder, "I'm sorry I didn't notice you; uh...?" he looked at Jack for help, and the blonde grinned broadly, "That's Ben Tennyson."

"..."

The same changing phase of expression that took place on Jack's face before, happened on Paulo's face as well. Only, Paulo's was more...dramatic.

His eyes were so shiny that Ben wanted to melt into the ground in embarrassment. Paulo's mouth was open in an 'o' shape, his hands raised to his face in shock.

"Oh my GOD! THE Ben Tennyson?!" he recoiled in seemingly happy horror, "The Wielder of the Omnitrix?! The Saviour of the Universe?!"

Paulo grasped the two hands of Ben in his own and squeaked, "Oh, I am _blessed_!"

"Paulo; please; you're embarrassing me..." Jack sighed, leaning his blonde head on his fingers.

"Oh c'mon, Jackie! This is Ben Tennyson!" he ranted and then stepped back, "I never thought that he would be a _young teenager_; aw, he's sooo CUTE!"

Ben turned to Kevin helplessly, "You didn't mention that they're...obsessed with me?" his voice only a whisper. Kevin grinned with a shrug, "I save the surprises for the last."

"Oh, sorry; I got a bit carried away", he squeaked breathlessly, letting go of ben's hands. He ran his slim fingers through his own brown hair, "I just _love_ the Omnitirix! Oh the ingenuity and clever master circuits! And the beautifully comaptible design! I forever admire its creator and the wielder! And now, I got to _touch_ the very wielder himself! - sigh- now, if I met the great Galvan Azmuth, then, ah...I could die in peace."

Kevin explained to Ben, "Paulo is the geekiest of geeks when it comes to Alien Technology; hes mad about alien tech and no human knows as much as he does about it."

"Oh, Kevin! You mean _after_ you, there's no one than me who knows that much."

Kevin chuckled, "Still the same ol' Paulo, the Modest!" at which the brunette DBS blushed. "I am so happy!" Paulo smiled wide, "To meet an old dear friend, and BEN Tennyson! It couldn't get any better!"

"Maybe it can", Jack grinned, making Paulo look at him oddly, "It can? Tell me Jackie, what do you mean?"

"Firstly, don't call me that! Secondly, ask Kevin why he called us to Earth!" Jack answered.

Paulo looked at Kevin like a bird; his head cocked, eyes unblinking behind ultra-clean glasses. "Well..." Kevin started, "Ben is a Vulphorous. And we need to go to Tetraxia to get him the Antidote."

Again, Ben noticed that the word 'Tetraxia' made no surprise to the DBS. But what interested him more was the graveness it brought to the conversation.

There was a sudden serious air around Paulo as he stared at the two. He pushed up his glasses, and went into thinking, "A Vulphorous? And the First Transformation?"

"Complete", Kevin pulled down the neck of his shirt again, to establish the proof of it. Paulo nodded, "I see..." and then it struck his head suddenly, "_You_ got bit?!"

Kevin gave off a sexy smirk, "Guess what."

Paulo stared and stared, his hazel eyes whizzing from Kevin, to Ben, to Kevin, to Ben. "No way!" he jumped sideways, clinging to Jack's arm as if his life depended on it. He looked up at the blonde's face, "Jackie! Is it- are they -?"

Jack smiled, "Yup; they're a couple!"

Paulo looked like he was about to faint. He melted off the blonde's arm, squealing, "OH! _Kevin and Ben_!" his cheeks went bright red as he sighed, "You two make such a cute pair! How rebellious you are, Kevin! You chose just the person who would have fought against us years ago! But, oh my god! You couldn't have chosen a better person for yourself, Kevin! How _adorable_!"

"Ok,...this is getting really awkward", chuckled Ben nervously, not used to being under such crazy fandom. He looked at Kevin who seemed absolutely alright and calm.

"I'm sorry again!" Paulo apologized sweetly, "I am no homo, but I believe that love has no gender at all!"

Kevin grinned. He just _had_ to put in his tease-statements, "Is that what you tell Jack when you date him?"

Paulo's face fell in synchronisation with Jack's. "I do NOT date Jack!" he snapped.

"I'm _right_ here", Jack pointed out, at which Paulo faced him with folded hands, "So? Is that an _insult_?!"

"Guys, guys; you can have you love-fight later; we have serious matter to discuss here!" Kevin laughed. Ben punched him on the arm, "You big meanie! You started it! Now _you _want them to stop?!"

Jack and Paulo frowned simultaneously, looking away. Then, the brunette DBS blinked, "So, since you're a Vulphorous, you can't wear the Omnitrix, right? Then who will save the world?" coming back to the matter at hand.

"_I_ will. For the moment, that is", came a voice from behind Ben and Kevin.

The four of them turned to see the large figure of Max Tennyson appear. He was dressed in his Plumbers uniform, and his aged eyes were fixated on the DBS. And the mentioned DBS stared open-mouthed and pale.

"Holy fuck! Its MAX TENNYSON!" they both gasped in the same time. Just when they were about to draw out their laser guns for defence, Kevin jumped out, "Its ok, guys; I called him here!"

"You called a _Plumber_ to meet _us_?!" Paulo snapped at Kevin, "That's equivalent to _betrayal_, Kevin!"

"Not to mention that you invited one of the _most famous_ Plumbers of them all!" piped Jack, panicking.

"No, he's here to help us! I know him; he's Ben's grandpa!" Kevin reasoned quickly. At that moment, the DBS guys froze, straightening from their defence pose, "_Grandpa?!" _ they chimed together.

"Hi, Grandpa Max," Ben smiled sweetly at the larger man who stood on Ben's other side, "You were a little late?"

"Sorry, Ben; I got caught up; a bunch of DNAliens attacked the south end of the city. All cleared up now, no worries", he smiled down at his adorable grandson. Max looked very warm and Santa-like as he smiled at his Ben; but when he turned to the DBS, his face went cold and fatal, "_Hello there_."

Jack and Paulo looked struck by lightning.

"Of _course_..." Paulo whispered in realisation, "Ben Tennyson. Max Tennyson. I can't believe I didn't connect the dots before!"

Jack blinked at the old man, "I, uh, I guess the heroism runs in the family, huh?"

"Yeah, it does." Max answered blandly. Ben frowned playfully at his grandpa, "Don't be so cold on them, grandpa! They're the reason I will be able to live happily ever after with Kevin! And I would get to wear the Omnitrix too!"

Max sighed. He then snapped, "Start talking the two of you! Intros!", he addressed the DBS.

"Jack Vortacon; sir!" Jack answered with a salute. "Paulo Consor; sir!" followed Paulo.

"Good, where have you decided to raid next? The Andromeda galaxy? Is that why you were easily available to Kevin's communication? Were you going to assault Milkyway next?"

Kevin turned to the old Tennyson, "Max! Take it easy; they're not going to give up _that _sorta info! And, it's our luck that they are willing to help us even though _you _showed up! They _could_ run off any minute now! But are they?"

"_I'd like to see them try_...", Max hissed, and the poor DBS guys gulped, "No-no way; we wanna help Kevin. We really do!"

"Please, Grandpa; listen to them!" Ben whined. No one, not even Max, could resist the puppy-dog face that Ben displayed to Max. Catching a glimpse, Jack nearly went "Aw..." but he was dug in the ribs by Paulo's elbow to keep shut.

"Fine; spit out the plan." He growled at the two.

Kevin shook his head. Jack looked a little miffed, but he spoke nonetheless.

"The only way to Tetraxia from here is through a new bridge we have built; called the Wormhole Cross", Jack started, and Max nodded in agreement so he continued, "From there, we can access Tetraxia in a few earth hours. The security is very tight, and we'll have to be really cautious if we don't wanna get caught; 'cause if we do; we are history!" he turned to Paulo, "Statistics, Paulo."

Paulo nodded and pulled out an advanced calculator. He tapped on the keys as he spoke, "Alright; to the Wormhole Cross, we have to pass there solar systems; and in our special spaceship; that'll be forty eight point six hours earth time. And...once we are in the Wormhole Cross, it's a ten minute lag, till we reach the other side...and... from there to Tetraxia takes approximately twenty seven point six hours earth time."

Paulo looked at Jack, for the blonde to continue, which he gladly did, "After we steal the Antidote, we move to the Floating Xoar; which is a rehabilitation centre for humans and alien-human hybrids. From there, we can have Ben go through the Purification process. If you have a recommended doctor, then you have to inform them today; or there are doctors there already anyway. Paulo? The time stats from Tetraxia to Floating Xoar, and back, please?"

Paulo spoke, "From Tetraxia to Floating Xoar takes fifteen point zero hours earth time; and the Purification Process takes around three hours, depending on the number of Full Transformations. Here, Ben has already done the first, so there is no question about it. So; three point zero hours for the process...and from the Floating Xoar, let's take an hour of signing documents and payment for treatment, so that's and additional one point zero hours earth time; then to the Wormhole Cross it takes forty point six hours. From the wormhole cross, its obvious we need the same forty eight point six hours earth time."

Ben gaped stupidly. Jack smiled at Paulo, "Sum total please?"

"One hundred and eighty point five hours in totals. That's seven point six days earth time."

Ben blinked. _All that math for a mere seven days?! I thought we mighta taken seven years with all those numbers!_

"Seven days, hm?" Max wondered, "Carl and Sandra come back in nine days right?"

Ben nodded, "So we have two days time in case we become late. Unless mom and dad decide to come home early..."

"God, no! Then we'll be in trouble!" Kevin shook his head.

Jack and Paulo looked at each other, and then at the three, "Uh, so;... when do we leave?"

"Tonight; definitely tonight; we need all the time we can get", Max took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Exhaling calmly, he opened his eyes again to look at the DBS, with a sudden smile, "For seven point six days earth time; welcome to the Tennyson gang of friends, Jack and Paulo!"

The two faces lit up in relief. "Thanks, man!" Jack grinned, and then cleared his throat, "I mean, _sir_."

Kevin and Ben burst out laughing. Paulo looked confused whether or not to join.

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_why do i feel like my chapter end with a Kick Buttowski's "oh, biscuits!" ending?!_**

**_yeah, about paulo; a fangirlish boy?! now thats something you dont see everyday! hahahahaahhaaa...who am i kidding... (shakes head.)_**

**_ok; for all of u who want a jack x paulo...pls read on ! :3_**

**_oh, and dont bother calculating all that number numeric crap; i hate it anyway and it took me only a normal calculator to sum it all up. just a random bunch of number to be added; and i just wanted to make paulo sound like a tech mathematician, :P_**

**_incase ure wondering; paulo consor is closely resembling to Grell Sutcliffe of Kuroshitsuji(Black Butler) only difference being that paulo's hair is brown not red; and he dont have those sharp teeth. his hair is shorter. and hes not a shinigami :P :D_**

**_scylasama, i hope ure happy now! :3 ... & u too stuffedtoycuddler !\_**

**_review pls! :3_**


	15. One big family

**_Ohio! another chap done!_**

**_yes, i luv my OCs :)_**

**_warning : this story so very very very contains boyxboy / yaoi _**

**_disclaimer : i donot own ben ten alien force or its awesome characters! :3_**

* * *

**ITS A WILD LIFE**

**_Chapter fifteen : One Big Family_**

It was around ten pm when the doorbell rang in the Levin house.

"_I'll get it!_" Julie called out as she raced for the door. Clicking it open, she found herself looking at Ben, Kevin, Max, and an unknown blonde and equally unknown brunette. She blinked at the two, and looked at the others, "Back so soon?"

Julie led them in, Jack and Paulo looking around. "Hey! Check out Kevin's bachelor cave!" Jack laughed, rather impressed. Paulo couldn't agree more, "Truly! You really do have some interior decorative sense, Kevin!"

Gwen walked into the room, wiping her hand on a towel after doing the dishes, "Hi, you guys!...oh..this must be Jack and Paulo?"

The mentioned teenagers turned at the sound of the redhead.

Ben walked up to the DBS deciding to do the intro.

"Guys; that is Gwen Tennyson, my cousin. She's an Anodite, like my Grandma Verdona", Ben introduced her to the two DBS.

"Gwen; this is Jack Vortacon-", he gestured to the blonde who bowed as Ben continued, "And this is Paulo Consor", he gestured to Paulo who smiled friendly.

"Uh, nice to meet you", Gwen smiled. Jack grinned at her, "You look a lil' similar to Ben!" at which Gwen shrugged smiling, "Everyone tells me that. We were kinda like twins when we were young!"

Paulo turned to Kevin, and teased, "Did you ever get mixed up between them, Kevin? You know, kissed the wrong Tennyson or something?!"

Kevin smirked, "I didn't have to mess up to kiss her; she's my ex-girlfriend."

Paulo looked shocked, "You are one _devil,_ Kevin!"

Ben spoke again, "Now I want you guys to meet MY ex-girlfriend; Julie Yamamoto!" gently holding the Japanese raven by the shoulder. Julie smiled and bowed, "Nice to meet you two."

Jack and Paulo looked at each other. "So _you're_ the reason Ben's a Bi and not gay?" asked Jack, and Paulo dug him in the ribs again, "Is that what you tell someone when you meet them for the first time, you idiot?!"

Jack shrugged apologetically. Julie laughed, not in the least offended at all, "Yeah, it's ok; actually I think Jack is right!"

Ben smiled too, "We may not be in a relationship anymore; but we _are_ great friends." Julie nodded in agreement.

Paulo liked that. "That's nice! You all are like one big family here huh?"

Kevin, who sat on the armrest of one of the couches, chuckled, "For the first time, yeah. One big, friendly family."

Max stood akimbo. Personally, there was a small hint of relief in Kevin's voice that had passed everyone's notice but not Max's. Max knew that Kevin had no family to call his own. He was a literal orphan; but he called himself an 'independent bachelor' almost as if to hide his lonesomeness. For a moment, Max felt his tough heart melt a bit; maybe he was wrong to judge him by the past, for being a DBS or whatever he was before. Even Kevin needed a family and company. And being Ben's grandfather, maybe he should be loving towards him?

"Alright people! We have three hours to pack, dress and leave for the journey!" Max barked orders, "We ain't no wasting time! Get your asses moving! Pronto!" and all the teenagers jumped in surprise, "Three hours?!"

"Well? We have only seven days to complete our mission! And in nine days from today, Carl and Sandra return from their vacation! Now you get it?!"

Gwen and Julie looked at each other baffled, "_Seven_ days?" and Paulo waved his hand at her to calm her, "I will explain to you and Julie, shortly."

"Alright, get cracking! All of you, get yourself a change of few clothes and stuff. Julie, you can get Gwen's bag too right? I need Gwen to help me with packing food", Kevin called out. Immediately, Ben went over to his room upstairs, Julie went upstairs to her's and Gwen's. Gwen joined Kevin in to the kitchen. Max left to choose his select weapons to take along for the journey, while Jack and Paulo had themselves a little snack, before leaving the house to prepare the spaceship the two BDS came in.

o.o.o

"_This_ is what we all are going to board?!...For _seven days_?!" Gwen looked at the chopper-like spaceship, exactly where they had left it.

The Plumber Tennyson looked calmly up at the spaceship. While, the six teenagers stood, each with a travel bag for clothes, and a few other paraphernalia. Kevin held a large ice-cooler for drinks as well, Gwen held a bunch of seven quilts rolled up into a large sausage-roll with her powerful manna. Ben blinked up at the small spaceship. All of a sudden, it seemed like a tough idea. He wondered, like his cousin, how the seven of them could fit in there comfortably for seven long days!

But Jack and Paulo grinned; they had the answer.

"Looks can deceive", Jack grinned, "We made it that small 'cause it's easier to land him this way, than in his original form!"

"_His_?", the girls questioned.

"_Original_ form?" Ben questioned.

"Introducing to you all; the majestic Alex-Hepha!" bellowed Paulo in a voice that was surprisingly made deep for a feminine quality they had. He raised a remote-like device towards the spaceship, and with a click, there was a loud whirring and grating noise, as before their very eyes, the spaceship elongated from either sides and from top to bottom. The whipping winds toyed with the teenagers who held each other. Segments upon segments fell out from the hidden depths of the spaceship, to connect rhythmically. Ben had the odd feeling that this looked like the cars turning into robots in Transformers. There was the grating noise of polished titanium sliding across each other, as more parts kept growing and growing.

Ben, Gwen and Julie gaped when all the commotion finally stopped. The Alex-Hepha was now six times bigger than what it had been; breadth wise and length wise.

"He hasn't changed much since a few years, huh?" Kevin smiled proudly at it. Paulo's eyes shimmered, "Yup; but we added a few modifications here and there."

The Alex-Hepha was the pride and joy of the Kevin, Jack and Paulo; a spaceship the three built themselves, years ago. And now to finally be in his acquaintance again, Kevin felt rather proud.

"Its..._huge_!" Ben gaped still. Gwen added, "And _elegant_!" and Julie spoke too, "And _promising_!"

Kevin smiled to himself in victory. It was a good feeling.

Jack turned to the troupe, "Are we all going to just stand here and admire him? Though I don't blame you, he's a beauty, eh?"

o.o.o

Once inside, Ben, Gwen and Julie admired the vastness of the insides; there was enough space and several more for them to stay for seven days!

"Welcome!" Paulo gestured, "This is the Living Hall as we call it. This ship is practically our mobile home!"

Max walked around, calmly observing the gadgets and computers that blinked and flashed from around the room. He screwed his nose at some of them, almost as his he was noting down details about it in his mind.

Well, he was perhaps the _only _Plumber ever to be happily invited into a DBS spaceship!

"_Grandpa!_ It's rude to do that!" Ben grabbed the large arm of his grandfather and dragged him back to the group. "I'm not doing anything", Max mumbled at which Ben looked at him with the 'Yeah-right' look.

Jack and Paulo spent a lot of time, showing the large maze-like rooms and all the important places; like the toilets, the bath, the dormitories, the cockpit, the weapon store, the secret locked room they weren't allowed to enter, the mess hall, the game station...

"_Game-station?!_ You guys have a _Game-station?!_" Ben laughed in awe, Jack added, "Hey; we're teens too! We need to have our fair share of _fun_ right?!"

Kevin whispered sideways into Jack's ear, teasing him no end, "You know, if you hooked up with Paulo; the Game-station will look very boring compared to the _fun _you'll get." Jack's face turned red as he scoffed, "_Kevin! You fucking_ -"

"Is something wrong, Jackie?" asked Paulo, seeing the grin on Kevin's face and the redness on Jack's.

"N-nothing, Paulo!"

o.o.o

"This is where you two will be sleeping", Paulo pointed to a dorm after having escorted Gwen, Julie and Max to theirs. The dorm was in light blue, and looked very alien-y. The beds were floating in the air few inches off the floor! There was a neat cabinet for clothes, shelves for other stuff, a table to keep toiletries. What was first observed was that there were two beds there.

"You mean, me _and _Ben?" Kevin asked, "Should I remind you that he's a _Vulphorous_ and _I'm_ his sexual attraction?!"

"Yeah", Ben added, "The last thing I want to do is kill Kevin in his sleep!"

Jack and Paulo looked at each other in dismay, "Damn! Forgot about that little detail!" Paulo hissed to himself. He raised a switch on the wall and suddenly there came a partition with doors; within the room.

"There. Now it's like two mini rooms with this one."

"Why can't you just give me one whole room? Alex-Hepha is big enough for that!" Ben asked, and Paulo replied, "We don't use much space for bedrooms, and this huge ship is already chock full of important tech and weapons. So, unfortunately, you'll have to share this room with Kevin. Gwen and Julie share one too. And so do Jackie and I."

"But _our_ room's a whole lot bigger, 'cause this is our permanent home; while you guys are just visiting!" Jack added.

"Hmm", Kevin nodded, "Guess that settles it then, babe?"

"It sure does", Ben agreed.

"Ok, you guys set your stuff in place and then meet us in the living room, ok?" Jack said. Kevin and Ben nodded.

Paulo and Jack left, closing the room's door. There was a small landing-like space between the partition doors and the room's door. Ben sighed as he turned open his door and walked in, placing his travel bag on the floating egg-shaped chair provided in the room. Kevin did the same in his room. Even though separated by a partition, the two could hear each other talk from the rooms.

"Hey, Ben? You know what Alex and Hepha stand for, in Alex-Hepha?" came Kevin's voice. He was undoing his bag and putting his clothes into the cabinets.

"Actually, I thought they were just fancy names! ... So, what does it stand for?" Ben asked back, jumping onto the bed, and undoing his bag as well.

"It stands for Alexander The Great and Hephaestion."

"Uh...ok?"

"You don't get I do you? Alexander and Hephaestion were the tightest of friends in Greek History. Some even guess they were sexually lovers."

There was an interested pause from Ben. "So, this Hephai guy is a guy right?"

"Do you know how stupid you just sounded?!" Kevin chuckled. Ben smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

"So, yeah; Hephaestion was a guy; and so was Alexander. I was cracking up like hell when Jack and Paulo came up with a name that mingles two 'supposedly' gay history figures!"

Ben laughed, "That's so cute! It's like Jack and Paulo are indirectly showing that they really are in love!"

"Actually, they are. They're just a pair of assholes who are too shy to admit it to each other", Kevin stated calmly. Ben straightened up from his side of the room.

"Really?!"

"Yup. Each time Jack denies it, I only understand it better that he loves Paulo. He...reminds me of me."

Ben walked out of his side of the room, and into Kevin's. He stood there at the threshold, his arms folded across his chest, "He reminds you of you?"

Kevin turned around looking at Ben, "Yeah. When I was thrown into the Null Void, I can't tell you how much I hated you. But when I got rid of my mutation with the help of a guy in there; I realised that what you did was a sort of rehab for me; if I had stayed on earth, who knows I would have been in Vilgax's league, or maybe even become a murderer. Even after I joined the DBS, I felt like a small part of me was thankful to you. But I hated you, that was sure. Slowly, I thought more and more of you, wondering how you were; and I started to fall in the initial stages of love. I kept denying it from myself, 'cause my pride could not bear the fact that my heart was falling for the very guy who put me in the Null Void of all places! I dunno, each time I denied it, I think I fell for you a little more. That's the kind of thing I see in Jack too. He and Paulo, they've been friends for so long I can't remember. And they have had their...situations... that proved the attachment they have. But the idiots won't confess no matter what! I mean, life would be paradise for them if they told each other, rather than have it all bottled up on the inside. And what if one day they die? It would be painful to die without letting a special person know that you love them. Sometimes, I want smack both their faces for their idiocy!"

Ben gazed at Kevin with mixed feelings of compassion, and pity. "Aw, Kevin; why are you getting all hot and bothered over them?!"

Kevin just shook his head, "I feel sick to see that they have the luck and chance to love each other and _yet_ shy off. And they dont know how lucky they are! Look at me; I am prohibited to even _touch _someone I love so much."

Ben smiled warmly, "You look like you could do with a kiss from a Tennyson."

Kevin looked at him, and he was this close to sweeping the brunette into his arms, but his mind told him that he knew better, "You're just teasing me!"

"The Tennyson I was talking about was Gwen. You could trade a few kisses from her...?"

There was a sudden movement and before Ben even knew it, Kevin had caught his slender arm and whipped him against the muscled chest, "I'm not some sort of _jerk_ who walks around for love, you get that?! You tell me to '_trade kisses_' from anyone one more time; and I swear I won't think about you being a Vulphorous, and I'll just get my kiss from _you_! Then it'll be all _your_ fault that Kevin Levin died of a Vulphorous bite!"

Ben gazed up into the brown eyes that were smouldering in pure passion and hurt. Lowering his own green pair, Ben whimpered, "I'm sorry, I just feel like you're starved of..., you know,.. being fondled and cuddled."

Kevin smiled down gently, holding the small face in his calloused hands, "All I need, is to just look at you, Ben, and I feel loved."

Ben looked back into the brown eyes; his heart was warming all over, his stomach churning a bit. As the two gazed at each other at such close proximity, the door opened with Paulo entering, "You guys want to have something to eat...OH MY!"

Seeing the two teens so romantically pressed against each other, Paulo felt his cheeks blaze; and then his panic rise in sharp peaks, "_Get away from each other!"_ he jumped out and pulled Ben away by his shoulders.

Kevin looked a little lost. Paulo now scolded the raven, "What's wrong with you, Kevin?! Ben is a Vulphorous, as if you didn't know that! He could have just turned into a Half right now! Each Half transformation he makes puts him in a tougher situation for the removal of the virus!" he looked very cross indeed, "And why am I telling YOU this! You already know it!"

Kevin sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Hey, I may be an Osmosian, but I feelings too y'know! I sorta got carried away. And it's not like we were really gonna kiss or anything!"

Ben looked away. He was pretty sure that even if Kevin wouldn't have kissed him, Ben would have lost it anyway.

Paulo shook his head. "Well; I see its going to be hard sharing a room with a person whom you are not supposed to kiss, but you really want to! So, Jack and I are going to make sure we help you guys stay alive atleast till we reach the Floating Xoar!"

Kevin shrugged, "Thanks", and then added, "Actually, we were talking about you two and the topic sorta flipped..."

Paulo's face seemed a little surprised , "You were talking about us?"

Kevin started, "Yeah, we -" but he was cut off by Ben who quickly added, "How about we all eat something and call it a night? Im kinda starving!"

Distracted, Paulo clapped his hand, "Awesome! We have _just_ the lovely veggie food for you! Come on!" and he skipped pulling Ben's hand with him. Ben looked over his shoulder at Kevin and whispered, "Sorry, but he was gonna get more angry so I ..."

Kevin simply gave off his signature Levin smile, and winked at him, "S'ok," while Ben was being pulled away.

"You coming, Kevin?" Paulo called from the door.

"Yeah, be right there!"

o.o.o

Kevin, Ben, Gwen, Julie, Jack and Paulo sat around the large table sharing vegetarian food. Max had already eaten and had decided to take a nap for a few hours; all the DNAlien fighting, and the three days Ben was unavailable ,had put a heavy toll on the old man's energy; so after Ben cajoled him into the idea, he decided to retreat to his dorm.

"In an hour, we're gonna take off of Earth. We will have to wake Max up; we need you guys to wear a special suit," Paulo spoke as he spooned jelly into his mouth.

"You mean like a Space Suit?!" Ben asked, chomping on his salad.

"Not exactly. You can stay without suits here; but when we are in the Wormhole Cross, it going to get nasty for an inexperienced flyer like you, no offense. So it's best if you all, including us for fun, wear the suits as a practice. Either way, it will be compulsory to wear the suit from the Druanian Galaxy after we pass the bridge. Let's say you guys could _really_ do with the practice."

"And it will help prevent Kevin and Ben kiss; 'cause of the helmets", Jack grinned. Kevin stuck his tongue out at him and Jack stuck his tongue back in defence.

Both Ben and Paulo sighed.

Gwen and Julie laughed.

"So, what colour is the suit?" Ben asked.

"White", Jack answered, "With glass helmets that look like...hmmm...over-turned fish bowls?"

Gwen and Julie laughed again.

o.o.o

Paulo smiled from the shadows at Kevin and Ben who leaned over at the large glass window. The bright black expanse of Space; with tiny stars shining within like diamonds.

"That's Mars!", Ben gasped like a small child, "And Jupiter!...Oh I know that one! Its Saturn..."

"Yes it is, love", Kevin nodded, placing a hand on the smaller shoulder while looking out at the scenery as well.

The DBS watched them calmly. It was a loving sight to see the warm glow between the raven and brunette. And from his withdrawn position in the shadows far off at the end of the room, Paulo could gaze all he want. As Paulo watched the two, Jack came up behind him.

"_BOO!"_ startling the brunette into a gasp of surprise. Jack chuckled to see that he succeeded, and Paulo frowned at him, looking over his shoulder, "What the hell, Jackie?!"

Jack grinned from behind Paulo, and wrapped his arms around the slim neck, in a manly attempt to strangle him in a playful manner, "So what, scaredy? And don't call me Jackie or I'll keep spooking you!"

Paulo struggled against the strong arms wound around his neck. With a short smile, his back pressed to the strong chest, he hissed, "Get off; can't you see I'm busy observing those two?"

"_What_ two?" Jack asked idiotically. Paulo pointed at Kevin and Ben who stood at the window with their backs to them.

"Oh..."Jack looked on in wonder, his arms slowly uncoiling till they slipped like a ring around Paulo's chest.

"They look real good together, right?" Jack sighed. And when he did that, his chest pressed more against and then released from Paulo's back, making the brunette suddenly conscious of their position. Not daring to move an inch, he slowly turned his irises to his right, and saw the side of Jack's face. The blonde was gazing at the Vulphorous and his attraction, not aware that a pair of hazel eyes were glancing at him in turn.

It was that _feeling_ again; the odd lift in his pulse; the sudden scorching of his neck; the numbness of his fingertips and toes. Paulo tried to hold back the urge to blush because Jack was almost psychic; he _always_ found out what Paulo was thinking, and many a time, he was almost caught thinking the wrong thing.

And now their faces were oh-so-close.

To Paulo's terror, the blue eyes suddenly moved sideways to the left and caught his hazel pair. The handsome face turned as well; they were literally breathing in each other's faces. "What?" Jack grinned, absolutely unaware of what was happening.

Paulo's insides tumbled in panic, but his quick wit had him snap, "Get off of my face, Jackie! It's_ just_ like how Kevin said; you're _so imposing!"_

Jack chuckled in reply, pulling away, and straightening up. He raised his arms and folded them behind his blonde head, "Sowwie!"

Paulo _pretended_ to continue gazing at Kevin and Ben.

This sort of friendly intimacy between Jack and Paulo was a common thing; after all, it was just the two of them alone in this large spaceship all the time. At times they rolled about like two brothers in play. But nothing has ever crossed a line. Never. And yet here he was, feeling like the pits of his stomach were on fire.

"Let's go spook 'em; what'd ya say?!" Jack hissed in excitement all of a sudden. Paulo looked at the childish blue eyes. _Now he wants to scare the two love birds yonder?!_

Paulo smiled, "Yeah! Let's do that! Heehee!"

- End of Chapter –

* * *

**_awesome! a suggestive jack x paulo element! its really fun imagining them :3_**

**_for those of u are star trek fans or star wars fans or whtever; pls imagine Alex-Hepha yourself; i hate describing vehicles; i stink at it. im sure my best friend probably laughs at my descriptions! :3_**

**_and im not a star trek or star war fan either, srry. :) ...i am...a ben ten fan! hehe..._**

**_pls review!_**


	16. Towards the Tetraxia

**_Ok, i know its been a lil too long since i last updated; for those who want to throw stuff at me, pls make sure its all pillows! and no stones or knives! :P_**

**_warning : this story contains (drum rolls pls) boyxboy also known as the evr hot Yoi; so...yadayadayada uve been warned! (thumbs up!)_**

**_disclaimer : i donot own ben ten alien force or its affiliated characters (damn. sigh)_**

* * *

**ITS A WILD LIFE**

**Chapter Sixteen : Towards the Tetraxia**

"Hahahah!" Julie laughed at Gwen. The poor Anodite had her head stuck in the glass helmet of the Spacesuit. Gwen struggled, writhing her whole body even though it was only her head that was stuck. Julie laughed again, till she shook her own helmeted head and gripped on to Gwen's, trying to pull it off. Tugging and heaving, they weren't going anywhere with this.

All four boys laughed their heads off.

"I'm _SO_ gonna _kill _you guys!" hissed Gwen, her voice muffled through the glass.

Paulo laughed, "I'm sorry Gwen; I think we got you the wrong measurements!"

Jack and Kevin gave each other a high five; while Ben shook his helmeted head wisely, "Poor Gwen." Ben soon joined Julie in helping his cousin free of the small tight helmet that was very ill-fitting.

After a few minutes, there came a short '_Pop!_' and Gwen was thrown back in the inertia, as was Ben and Julie thrown in the opposite direction. She sat there on the floor blinking like in a daze; Julie and Ben lying in a heap. Somewhere between the Fallen Ones, was the lone body-less helmet.

"The Jack's outta the Box!" Jack laughed. Kevin guffawed further. Gwen got to her feet, scowling like a thunder cloud, "_Why you...!_"

The blonde and raven took off for their lives when the Angry Anodite tore into a chase.

The three suited remaining teens; Paulo, Ben and Julie; stood at their spots. A suited Max walked into the room, confused to see only the three there.

"Where'd the rest go?"

"A hunting", Ben answered in mirth.

o.o.o

Once their short dispute was over, things were going smoothly again. They had all tried on their Spacesuits.

The suit was not the large, bulky variety like those worn by Neil Armstrong. The suit was slim and elegant, with a mini oxygen cylinder strapped on the back even though the whole of Alex-Hepha has its own regenerative oxygen supply. The glass helmet was of the toughest glass fibre and was spotlessly clear. Even though gravity was also self-induced in the Alex-Hepha; there were gravity-inducing devices installed in the boots of the suit, just in case the Space's gravity-less-ness decided to play around with them. Walking in this suit was no challenge; it was light, mobile and comfortable.

The suit even made sure that if Kevin and Ben lose themselves to their longing and lean in towards each other to kiss; the only thing they would be able to do will be to knock their helmets together and then come to their senses.

Things were going rather well.

To the Wormhole Cross, Paulo had explained, it would take forty eight point six hours; that is, two days to reach the bridge. And in those two days, the group of seven had bonded rather well. Max had learnt to accept Kevin and the DBS teens for what they are behaviourally than professionally; however that did not stop his superior Plumbers pride from walking into the weapons store and inspecting the articles there with a detective eye. Most of the time he would be caught by a rather cross Ben, who would pull him away saying, "You're being rude, Grandpa!" and Max could all but shrug, finding it hard to hold down his urge to arrest the DBS creeps. But, since they were soon to be responsible for the liberation of the sickening virus from Ben, he decided to swallow his schematic thoughts and just 'go-with-the-flow'.

o.o.o

"Look at that! It's gorgeous!" Ben gaped at the window. Stars and tiny spiralling galaxies were strewn across the Space that stretched across everywhere. It was such a beautiful sight. Even though Ben had been to many space-missions, he never had spent a day longer in space, floating across the planets, comets, asteroids and stars. It was a nice heavenly scene indeed.

Paulo joined him at the window, "Awesome, huh?"

"No duh!" Ben turned to him, smiling through his glass-dome helmet, "You must be used to seeing It all the time, right?"

Paulo shrugged, "Yeah. This is all we have as scenery, Ben. The vast Space stretching far, beyond and further. We love it too; at times, it feels as if we are swimming through a dream."

Ben smiled at him again. Paulo, despite being a technology mastermind and mathematician, was rather poetic and dramatic even as he spoke. Ben liked him a lot; he was nice to talk to.

"It _does_ feel like I'm floating in a dream", Ben sighed, "A beautiful dream...just me and Kevin..."

Paulo looked at the lovesick look on Ben's face as the smaller brunette stared at the window. Ben suddenly shook his head, "Damn; I'm doing it again. I should really learn how to force myself NOT to think about him..."

"That's hard work. The more you try to forget the face, the more you subconsciously think of him."

Ben looked at him, a little miffed. Paulo looked back at him, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to dishearten you..."

"No its ok; go on! It's nice to talk to someone about it without feeling guilty or bored."

Paulo smiled good-naturedly. He looked at the window, speaking slow in low, cool tones, "It must have been tough for you, Ben. Being a Vulphorous puts not only a physical but also an emotional toll on the victim. And the worst part is...", Paulo sighed, "...that you can feel _every little thing_ you do in your transformation, but have no control over it. Kind of like controlling a robot that - "

"- suddenly has a mind of its own!" Ben continued for him. Surprised and interested, Ben gazed at him, "That was exactly what I felt! How did you _know_ that?!"

Paulo looked at him awkwardly, "I, uh, guessed?"

Ben narrowed his eyes on Paulo, "You spoke about a Vulphorous like as if you had experienced being one!"

Paulo blinked at him. Biting his lip, he suddenly reached out and caught Ben's upper arm, whispering, "Here, come with me." Ben found himself being led by the arm to a Paulo's room which was, at the moment, deserted and quiet. Paulo let go of Ben's arm and gestured him to sit at the edge of the bed. Ben obeyed and Paulo sat down as well.

Paulo spoke, "Well, I _was_ a Vulphorous once. A few years back."

Ben recoiled, with awe on his face, "Oh, it musta stunk being one! It _still_ does actually."

"Man, it did. Horrible. I was so confused on my First Transformation. It was all like a big, mad drive; like a maddening rush, you know?"

"Oh, don't I?!" Ben agreed. He was enjoying talking to Paulo about his condition. It was definitely a positive way to let the often depressing feelings and confusions out to someone who has been through the same terrible fate.

Ben leaned in closer, whispering, "How did it happen?"

"I don't remember accurately; but we were in a mission to conduct a raid on a planet, and on that planet we found Vulphori. I dunno how but I soon found myself bitten. We fled with our successful loot, but we all were worried about my bite. We have spare antidote thankfully, so I was cured a day after I was bitten."

Ben looked at Paulo. The DBS brunette was hesitating a little, almost as if resisting the urge to spill something else. "Paulo? Did you...bite anyone?"

Paulo knew what that question really meant. _Did you WANT to bite anyone, SPECIFICALLY?_

He twiddled his thumb nervously. Looking deep into the green eyes, Paulo whispered, "I'll let you in on a little secret. But swear to me you won't tell anyone else?"

"I swear", Ben whispered back.

Paulo whispered, "But no one knows this one, not Jack, nor Kevin; so please don't spill this to _any_one!"

Ben nodded encouragingly. Paulo took a deep breath, "Ok, when I went through my First Transformation, there were a lot of DBS guys there; Jack, Daze, Mason, Yoki, Kevin ... and my monstrous form started going berserk. I woulda bitten Yoki considering he was standing closest to me, but I looked at all of them and I magnetised towards... Jack."

Ben knew what happened after that, but he wanted to hear it from Paulo, who paused while a visible glow of red was forming on his cheeks, "I... I started chasing him. The rest of them were going mad in fear, 'cause it looked like I was chasing them all, Jack was such a mouse, he kept running everywhere. " Paulo looked rather nostalgic, "At that moment, I was struck with so much fear that I was trying to hurt Jack, but the back of my mind alarmed me that I was specifically hunting only him. Which meant only one thing..."

"You love him", Ben spoke softly when Paulo refused to say it.

Paulo looked confused, "No, I... I'm not sure; I look at him as the only friend I ever had who didn't think I was a seriously weird nerd! But, it's not like the Vulphorous _always_ has his sexual attraction as the target; it can be a person whom the victim loves ... as a friend too, right?"

Ben was not so sure about that. "Paulo, a very good doctor told me that it's definitely the sexual attraction who has to watch out."

Paulo sighed from within his suit, "This is so confusing, Ben! I... I always liked Jack, but he, he's my best friend!... No, I can't be _loving_ him, can I?!"

"Look at _me_, Paulo; I'm in love with a guy who was one of my biggest _enemies_! You never know what life has in store for you!"

Paulo's hazel eyes glinted in embarrassment from behind the specs and the helmet, "I suppose it's possible! But there might be no good from hoping on it; he has had girl friends and he's straight, I'm sure! Well, um, anyway; the part where I realise that I could be in love with Jack; neither he nor Kevin know so, please don't tell them! Or anyone!"

"I...wont. But one day _you_ will, wont you?" Ben asked.

Paulo's eyes widened, "You mean_, tell Jack_?! That I _like_ him?!"

Ben nodded, but Paulo seemed very disturbed, and silent. In an effort to lift the spell of nervousness in the air, Ben asked, "Did you hurt Jack when you were a Vulphorous?"

Paulo smiled in reply. A sort of happy smile. "Well, there is a puzzling thing about it. When I went on the rampage and they were trying to drug me to do the Purification Process, Jack stopped running. Whether it was on purpose or not, I dunno. But I think he tripped. I bit him. That gave the doctors just the time to drug me successfully. We both were taken into medics and finally I was cured, and he sterilised", and he looked away, "He was not mad at me at all, for biting him, that is. And he never mentioned any suspicions of why I chased _him _rather than anyone else."

Ben smiled too. It was very much visible on Paulo's face. "Don't you think he might, you know, like you back?" asked Ben voicing the doubt in Paulo's mind.

"No way", Paulo shook his head sagely, "He _never_ can like me like that! He considers me as his best and greatest friend. He loves teasing me to death, and toying me to tears, yet we get along like brothers! He was happy to see me cured, but I don't think he could..."

Kevin was right about this being frustrating. Seeing the two so unaware of each other's passion was making Ben want to knock some sense into the DBS badly!

Ben started, "Maybe you should - "

The door tore open and a suited blonde stuck his head in, "Hi, you two! Paulo, have you seen that Sound Defragmentor? I wanna show Kevin the sound of whales coming off that meteorite we found the other day?"

Paulo looked at Ben, and then looked at Jack, "It's in Store 3008."

"Cool, thanks!" he looked at the state of the two brunettes, "Whattchyou guys all whispery about?"

"Nothing, Jackie! We're discussing about the Omnitrix! Just get out!" Paulo snapped. Jack grinned and saluted a bye before disappearing in a jiffy.

Silence.

Paulo got up, wringing his hands together, "Ok, I brought you here to help you get rid of some of the sour feelings that a victim has as a Vulphorous; and here I am, talking to YOU about MY feelings! What an odd turn of events!" he was a little breathless in embarrassment. Ben chuckled at him, "But thank you, Paulo; it's nice to know that you'll listen to me if I ever get a little depressed at myself."

Paulo smiled back. Then Ben added, "Of course, you can talk to me too, about Jack. I have been through the same thing as you when it comes to this crush on-a-guy business."

Paulo blushed again, looking over his shoulder making sure no one was eavesdropping, "Shh! Don't say that _out loud_! I think Kevin is already suspecting me!"

"Really? What makes you think that?" Ben grinned in mockery.

o.o.o

Two days passed this way. Ben and Paulo went well together, as did the adventurous pranksters Jack and Kevin. The girls went with both pairs and Max felt he was the only one who was making sense.

Going to sleep was the only thing that was hard to do; with all the fun they were having as a group. For Jack and Paulo, often a few DBS guys do come over and stay for a few days when they have combined missions. But to have Ben, Kevin, Gwen and Julie, with their stories of how they saved Bellwood and how they passed life; how Ben found the Omnitrix from Gwen's point of view, etc; it was a fun and different experience for the two DBS. Besides, Ben always became the taget for the pranks of the mischevious duo Kevin and Jack, and Paulo would always come to the rescue of the Wielder of Omnitrix.

And for Paulo, he felt rather light-chested to have told Ben about his confused feelings for Jack. Till then he had to carry it around on his own, now he felt a whole lot better. As for Jack, he was too busy laughing and joking with Kevin than to discuss about _love_!

At night, Paulo and Jack, who shared the same room, but not the same bed, would laugh away and talk about Ben and Kevin and their fun ways. Paulo would happily share how similar he was to Ben, and how happy he was to be in good terms with the Omnitrix Weilder. Jack would add that having Kevin back for a few days was indeed a memorable experience.

o.o.o

After those two days.

"Ok, you all better hang on tight to your suits; this is gonna feel queasy!" Jack announced. They all were in the cockpit. Jack and Kevin were the pilots, gripping onto the controls, headphones donned, while the rest of them watched the windshield as an enormous swivelling hole with a band of curiously-coordinated light appeared in the large vast Space. It looked like a colourful black-hole. Now, that was _so_ wrong!

"That's the Wormhole Cross", Paulo spoke in explanation, "It is un-identifiable to others, but only responds to activation when we send a particular frequency signal to it. Hit it, Jack!"

Jack pulled at a lever and a few switches later, "There! Done!" a beam of laser like light shot out from the Alex-Hepha and towards the Wormhole Cross. The next moment the large hole grew till it could swallow two Alex-Hephas. Ben raised an eyebrow; the hole was...spinning?

"More like spiralling", Ben mumbled in awe of what was unfolding before his eyes on the windshield.

"What?", Gwen asked, hearing Ben mumble, and Ben shook his head to gesture it was nothing.

"Oooh! It's _pretty_!" Julie remarked, pointing at the kaleidoscope of colours spinning and writhing in circles inwards the Wormhole Cross.

Kevin and Jack spoke in simultaneous synchronisation, "Alright, everyone; seat-beats tight! Proceeding into the WC in five, four, three, two, one..."

"_GO!"_ They all screamed in unison. Well, it was rather exciting to say that all together!

It felt like being in a rollercoaster to Ben. He scrunched up his eyes as they sped a little too uncomfortably into the Wormhole Cross, the backwards-pull that seemed to want to crush them all into their seats. And by 'all', it should be understood they were Ben, Gwen, and Julie. Kevin, Jack, Paulo and Max were all experienced in this sort of flight and they just sat back and relaxed as if watching a movie. Personally, the whizzing speed of the mysterious interior of the bridge was terrifying, Ben's heart drummed nervously in a scream within his ribcage though an anxious smile was stretched across his face.

"_Woah-oooooooh!_" the teens sang in excitement, Max simply sighed from inside the suit and couldn't help smile. They spent ten very-awkward minutes passing through the Wormhole Cross; for the inexperienced teens, they felt as if their stomach was floating in their abdominal cavity, and Ben especially wanted to puke but he held in that thought when Kevin looked over his shoulder at the passenger seats behind as spoke, "You ok, babe? It's gonna feel queasy for a bit, but hold on alright?"

Ben nodded nervously and grinned at the scenario of whizzing lights and swirls of colourful laser shows that played on either sides of the bridge as they passed it, and Ben tried using those to distract his oddly dancing stomach. "_Pretty, pretty, pretty...don't puke, don't puke, don't puke...!"_

Gwen and Julie held hands tightly, their heads pressed against their seats. Ben wondered whether they wanted to throw up too?

After those ten minutes, a small white dot was visible on the space in front of the ship. As they whizzed more, the dot became bigger and bigger. "It's the other side, right?!" Ben gasped, sounding a little too relieved. As the blonde Jack adjusted the levers and controls to manoeuvre a smooth exit, he chuckled, "Whuzz the matter, Ben? Scared out?!"

Ben huffed indignantly, "I am NOT scared out!"

"Yeah," added Kevin rather with a grin, "My Benji ain't scared of nothing!"

"Except clowns", Gwen spoke up with a smirk of mirth.

"And heights!" Julie added.

"And zombies that could sneak up from under his bed and strangle him in his sleep", added none other than Max himself. He couldn't help it; he merely added the comment in a low voice, hoping Ben didn't notice his contribution to the conversation.

Unfortunately, Ben DID notice.

"_Grandpa! You too?!_" Ben huffed in a hurt voice. Max shrugged apologetically as Kevin, Paulo and Jack laughed their asses off.

"I was only like _five_ then!" Ben defended himself, pouting from within his suit, folding his hands across his chest. Kevin looked over his shoulder again, "Aw, c'mon, Ben! You gonna take all that seriously?"

"Yeah, Ben; with _us_ here, you can make sure _NO_ zombie will _ever_ sneak up on you when you sleep!" Jack winked at Kevin, and they shared a high five. Ben whimpered wondering what that would obviously mean, and Paulo simply patted the hero's shoulder, whispering into Ben's helmet, "They're just a bunch of nut-jobs; I'll watch out for ya, ok?"

Ben smiled in relief, his pretty green eyes twinkling.

"Look, we're gonna get out any second now!" Julie pointed at the windshield, and the dot Ben had been watching before, was now a gaping wide tunnel.

"Exiting WC in five, four three, two, one...!"

"_WOAAHH!"_ they all bellowed as the Alex-Hepha shot forward, even more uncomfortable than how it had entered. Ben's stomach almost threatened to flip, but he clenched his jaws and grinned for no reason and finally in a sixty freaky seconds, the spaceship popped out of the Wormhole Cross like a cork off a bottle.

"Welcome to the Druanian Galaxy!" announced Jack and Paulo. Chuckles from the rest of the passengers followed.

The Alex-Hepha zoomed through the dark starry space of the galaxy unfamiliar to Ben, Gwen and Julie. Immediately, there was a small loss in gravity within the ship, and Ben felt his feet rising off the floor though he tried to keep them anchored down.

He looked at his friends and grandfather, and they all had their feet a few inches off the floor of the cockpit.

"N'thin to worry about, Ben! Just a little gravity issue that's like _so_ common in the Druanian Galaxy!" Jack called out looking over his shoulder, grinning at Ben's lost expression. Kevin chuckled and added, "You all ok back there?"

'Yeah's and 'sure's came in and Kevin nodded, turning back to the controls, "You all might wanna note down the fact that from now on, while we're in the Druanian Galaxy, removing your suit is a big fat no-no; unless you wanna get suffocated 'cause of the pressure. This place is a creepy type so, yeah?"

They all looked at each other and then nodded.

o.o.o

"Urgh, man; after that flight through the Wormhole Cross, I just wanna go to sleep!" Ben squeaked, yawning like a puppy.

Their bedrooms now showed how special they were.

Jack and Paulo knew from experience how devastatingly irritating it was to try and sleep while wearing a glass dome helmet. And the oxygen cylinder on the back. Hence they had perfected out their bedrooms with Level-Five alien technology that allowed the passengers to remove their suits and breathe good old oxygen, and without the pressure crushing them to atoms. It was very complicated and expensive work, so they had to limit it only to the bedrooms and the inbuilt bathrooms, and not the whole of Alex-Hepha.

They all knew about this because they were earlier informed by the DBS teens, when Gwen had the wit to actually wonder about it.

The troop walked out of the cockpit into the main 'living room', Ben stretched and tried to kick off the irritating floating feeling from his knees. He almost tripped over his own boots, but a pair of large arms wound around his waist, catching him. Ben didn't have to look over his shoulder to guess it was Kevin, the perfect manner the arms fit around his hips were proof enough.

"Benji, you better watch out for this new enviro, ok?!" Kevin whispered. Ben turned from within the grip, and looked at the glass dome within which Kevin smiled cheerfully. Ben could see a small reflection of himself on the dome, smiling too. They gazed at each other for a while, maybe one of them moved and '_knock_'... their helmets prevented any romantic intentions.

"Damn", Kevin grunted, "Oh well."

Paulo burst a giggle, making the hero and his handsome 'sidekick' turn to him. Once caught, Paulo turned abruptly, only to bump into Jack, who was caught aback and almost toppled backwards had Paulo not caught him around the abdomen. For a moment, the two DBS teens seemed to be hugging each other.

It was Kevin's and Ben's turn to giggle.

o.o.o

'Twenty seven point six hours, earth time' Paulo had said. That's approximately one day and three hours, from the Wormhole Cross, to reach their ultimate goal.

Tetraxia.

And in that one day, they all discussed deeply on what to do.

"There's three layers of Level Five security to the Main Lab. It's called something else by the Tetraxians; we just named it the Main Lab, 'cause that's the humongous building where they make their antidotes. It's a small planet, kinda like Mercury, or Venus, and that one building is the only one that makes the antidotes. Tetraxians live like one big colony, not as split countries as we Earthlings do", explained Jack.

They all were sitting at a round table, in the living room. Jack and Paulo were standing, explaining, while the rest sat around the table like a conference.

Jack looked at Max, "Paulo and I can easily sneak in, we've been there twice and we survived to tell the tale! But sneaking past _all _of ya, it's gonna be tough."

Max nodded, "Maybe we don't have to take the girls with us? After all, while we sneak in, we will need someone to get us out of the planet the second we step out with the loot." Max turned to his granddaughter, "Gwen? You and Julie can manage the Alex-Hepha for a swift escape, can't you? Once Paulo teaches you the basics, that is?"

Gwen looked at her best friend and then to Paulo, "If Paulo can teach us, count us in!" and Julie added, "Yeah!"

Paulo smiled, "Most gladly! All you girls need to know will be to start the ship and get it zooming, and we can manage the rest!"

"All right," Max sat back, "That's dealt with. Now, how do we get in?" at which Jack pulled out a huge roll of paper. It was a detailed plan of the security system in Tetraxia. They all huddled to peer at it; it resembled some highly complicated circuitry that Ben had zero idea about. Jack caught the odd look on Max's face, immediately understanding what was nagging the old man, "Sorry, Maxio; don't even _think_ about asking how we got this detailed plan!"

Max frowned at him, defeated. Kevin shook his helmeted head and nudged the old Tennyson to back to peeping at the plan.

For three hours, Jack and Paulo explained the mesmerising ingenuity of the security, telling them about the ways to manoeuvre in and out, what to avoid, whom to avoid and where to avoid. They worked like a pair of teachers, eagerly teaching a group of five interested eyes.

"Here,..." Paulo pointed at a circular area, "...is where they store the antidotes they manufacture. Mind you, it's gonna stink like Hell in there, so you have to make sure your suit helmets are tight!"

Jack put forward, "So I'm thinking, when we all get there, all five of us grab a vial of antidote each; 'cause if we get caught and we make sure one of us escapes, then we have at least that much antidote to cure Ben."

"What if _Ben_ gets caught?!" asked Julie.

Paulo and Jack looked at each other, and then back at the raven Asian, "Well, that's a good question, Julie!" and Paulo turned to them all, "The four of us, that is Kevin, me, Jack and Max will try our best to keep Ben protected as we sneak in and out!"

Ben voiced a question, "But why is it necessary for _me_ to come in as well?! I mean, I'm supposed to sit here safe, right? And besides, you guys are the trained cool people who know how to do the whole 'Mission Impossible' stuff!"

Jack grinned at Kevin, "Ain't he cute, Kev?!" and then turned to the brunette, "Ben, there are several types of cure being made there. Even the Vulphorous Antidote is classified into more sub-divisions, according to the species affected. We need you, as the victim, to make sure we get the right kind for you."

Ben went, "_Oh...!"_ in realisation; the manner that made Kevin want to hug him for being so adorably stupid. Paulo stifled a chuckle. The girl looked at each other confusedly. "What's so funny?!" Max snapped, confused as well.

"Never mind!" Paulo smiled, "So, that's all we have to do now. Get past the security, get the vials of antidote and get the hell outta there. It's the getting-in that's gonna be tricky; so, let's hope it all works out, eh?"

Ben sat back, wondering why this seemed so scary, when he himself had fought effortlessly against Vilgax; and won.

_Oh yeah_, he remembered, _I_ _had the Omnitrix then_.

"All right then, chop-chop! Let's get down to business! We have like twenty four hours-ish left now!" Jack waved off, rolling back the plan into a long pole as he spoke, "Paulo, you take the girls to the cockpit and let 'em into the necessary controls" and in reply, Paulo nodded, "Aye aye sir!" he escorted the ladies out the room elegantly. Jack turned to the rest, "You guys, I'm gonna need your help sorting out the weapons we need, and I also need to explain more in detail about our mission, ok?"

The guys all got up and followed Jack as he led them out of the room.

Ben sighed to himself, almost fogging the glass helmet, "Something's nagging me... hopefully the mission will go a-ok, but..."

"S'mthin wrong, babe?" Kevin's voice drifted into Ben's ear, startling him. Emerald eyes looked through glass, into caramel pair that blinked at him in concern.

"Just a lil' ...scared", Ben squeaked in a small voice. Kevin smiled in reply, and put his large arm around the petite shoulders, gathering the slight frame closer to himself, "You don't worry, Ben, we got this all under control, ok?!"

Ben nodded.

But then, in Ben's life_, nothing_ was ever under control, not hormones, not luck, not even the laundry. A mission? Well, God help them!

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_mores coming! this was more of a filler chapter really, wasnt it? oh well._**

**_May Neil Armstrong's soul rest in peace in the heavens..._**


	17. Antidote hunting

**_Okay...now onto the excitement...!_**

**_Warning : this story contains boxyxboy / yaoi ; ... so you better know what u're reading, pal!_**

**_Disclaimer : I do not own Ben ten alien force or its awesome characters._**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_Chapter seventeen: Antidote hunting_**

Ben panted into his suit as he ran for his dear life, clutching the cuboidal vial of purplish Antidote against his chest.

_I knew it! I knew things were gonna go downhill! My luck's so rotten!_

Running around a bend in the ivory white corridors, Ben pressed himself against one of the projections in the wall. The guards chasing him soon ran forward and did not notice him hiding there.

Panting heavily, fogging his glass dome a little, Ben gripped his numb fingers around the cuboidal vial snuggled deep in the bag tied to himself. Catching his breath, his mind swam back to the past events that caused this sudden failure of plans.

_*flashback starting -*_

The five of them had very easily slipped past the layers of security carefully, all five wearing pitch black identical suits. It took them two painfully slow hours, dodging,slithering and manoeuvring through the tunnels and corridors. The guards were all ten inches taller than Ben, and dressed in an alien version of black jumpsuits, sophisticated weaponry held in their seven-fingered hands. Hiding from them was a hairbreadth's risk, and they managed somehow, finally ending up in the circular room that Paulo had mentioned during their discussion.

Ben had stared wide eyed, his heart drumming in frantic rhythms, he feared being seized into the air by one of those Tetraxian guards. He had seen one of them catch sight of him earlier, and there was an uh-oh sort of dirty look in the large black eye that sent a chill up his spine. Moreover, the guy _saw_! They would soon be caught! It was only a matter of moments before that guard informed the rest of his patrol and went at them. The guard possibly eagerly expected to rape Ben according to how he had stared Ben down.

Whimpering in the confusing spiral of fearful thoughts, Ben gripped Kevin's arm, "_Hurry up!_" he whispered, his green eyes flashing like signals. Kevin held Ben's arm reassuringly, fogging his own dome helmet in his tense calm, "_We are! Just hold on!_"

Paulo and Jack were busy decoding the lock system while Max assisted. Kevin and Ben watched their back, holding tight to their Plumber Laser Guns.

In minutes, the five slipped into the sliding doors. The humongous room was almost sensational in its vastness and whiteness. Rows and rows of different coloured liquids adorned the circular walls, like books in a library. Thanks to their suits, they didn't have to suffer the stench in the room which was comfortable to Tetraxians. Once they were in, the DBS teens treaded in, as if this was just another of the rooms in their ship, as if they knew the winding maze-like shelves like the back of their hands. Max, Kevin and Ben followed, making sure that their gravity-induced boots made no sound, while within their suits, their hearts beat steady and in suspense. Walking in a particular pattern, the two DBS led the three this way and that, till they reached a particular shelf, just as very large, length-wise and breadth-wise, as the other shelves. All over in it, in tiny square compartments, were cuboid-shaped glass cases, each roughly the size of a remote-control. The each glass container was transparent, and within a test tube shape was seen as its cavity that held a dark purplish liquid within it. They all looked the same hue; it was hard to distinguish the sub-classes of Vulphorous Antidote from each other, and not to mention there were so many of them. Millions and millions were placed as far as the eye could see.

_That's a_ _LOT of Antidote! _Ben gaped to himself.

Jack clicked on a special toggle on his suit, and immediately he was hovering into the air, his hands floating over the compartments, trying to choose which glass case to take for Ben. Paulo joined him in the air; the two zoomed like bees in a beehive, pulling out vial after vial, replacing them back. Finally Paulo found one and handed it to Jack. They conversed a few moments and zoomed down at the Plumber Tennyson. Max took the vial from Jack and turned to Ben. Kevin turned to Ben too, walking around him, and holding back his hands behind his back.

"_Hey! Wha-?.._" Ben protested. He felt like he was being handcuffed. Thankfully he wasnt, it was just a feeling.

"_It's ok, Benji_", Kevin whispered, "_We're gonna try if it's the Antidote's the right one, and the virus is not gonna like it. So, just in case you go violent..._"

Ben turned to look over his shoulder at Kevin, but Max whispered, "_Ben, we got no time, look here!_" and in obedience, Ben turned back to Max, terror in his eyes wondering what they were about to do with the cuboidal vial. Max unplugged the black top off the vial and held it near Ben's glass dome. A few vapours of purple and black emanated off the open cuboid. Ben could not smell anything because of the suit, so he added, "_You guys are forgetting I can't smell anything?_"

Kevin answered, "_We know you can't smell nothing. It's the SIGHT of the Antidote gets the virus mad, not the smell_."

"_And in the way Ben's not reacting, this can't be the ideal one_", Max sighed. He turned and shook his head at Jack and Paulo. Jack took back the vial while Paulo searched for more. Again and again, they handed vials after vials to Max for Ben to stare at and nothing happened, until...

Ben stared at the umpteenth time at the vapours. Suddenly, his chest bucked forward, his shoulders dug back against Kevin. "_Uhggh._.." Ben groaned, his eyes clouding, his fingers trembling. He felt like a small fire was being lit in the pit of his stomach and he didn't like it one fricking bit. Wincing at the sight of the curls of purple and black, dancing in front of him like horny prostitutes in the Arabia, Ben writhed in discomfort. "_Take it away from me..._" he moaned, looking away, all of a sudden his lungs were working twice their time, his muscles were tightening and his teeth gritting in anger that came out of nowhere.

"I SAID TAKE IT AW- mmmmpphh!" Ben's growl was cut off by a suited hand that held down on the microphone-speaker in Ben's suit to prevent the brunette's high pitched snap from attracting unwanted attention.

Max turned to the DBS and gave them a thumbs-up. Nodding, Paulo and Jack fished out five vials containing the same liquid. Zooming back down to the ground, they handed Max one cuboid, and then turned to see Kevin calming down a nerve-wrecked Ben panting in confusion.

"_He'll get over it in a jiffy_", Paulo consoled Max who looked a little bothered. Soon, his comment was validated when Ben straightened up shaking his head and blinking at the rest.

"_That was nasty..."_ he mumbled. Kevin handed him a vial with a smile, whispering, "_It'll all get better, look! We got it Ben! Now we get outta here and to the Floating Xoar and yippee for us!_"

Nodding in renewed enthusiasm, they all tread back quietly the same way they came, reaching the door, they slipped out, one at a time, holding the their respective vials in a bag tied to themselves carefully. Ben watched as the DBS relocked the large metallic door. Since Kevin and Max were busy helping Jack and Paulo, they didn't notice a slim, black hand snake beside Ben and suddenly grab him by the head of his helmet and tug him into the shadows.

"MMphhh!" Ben retorted, struggling against strong thin hands that gripped him around the waist and head. He was pulled against the wall and finally he saw what he was up against. The same Tetraxian, the one who had dirtily stared at him without alerting his subordinates or superiors.

It was surprising that Tetraxians were actually...handsome; their skin was of a lilac-blue hue, and their eyes were all two large almonds of black, a thin nose almost bridgeless, lips like thin stretched membranes. But he was actually good-looking, with soft dark hair flipping over one eye as he gazed at the terrified green eyes in the helmet.

"Humans..." the hissing voice skimmed through Ben's suit into his ears, causing him to shudder once, "... so inferior in intellect, but so _delectable_ in sight," he peered closer to the face, pressing his very tall body against Ben, "I suppose you extreme beauty makes up for you pathetic intelligence."

Ben frowned in disgust and indignance, "_You_'_re_ a lousy flirter!" and for a second Ben could not believe he could joke so acidly when his life was on the line here!

Faint eyebrows rose, "What an odd statement, but giving it the voice, I suppose you were insulting me?"

Ben growled angrily, "How can you speak English?! You're a superior species and crap! So you're not supposed to know our language!"

Thin lips twisted into a sick smile, "Natural translators, gorgeous creature. I suppose you haven't any? We wouldn't know unless we find out..." his long seven-fingered hand placed itself on Ben's hip, sliding precariously to his rear, and the very touch of the fingers on Ben's small round derriere made the Tetraxian's eyes bulge in excitement, "What a succulent behind! Marvellous, indeed!" and made Ben's wince in embarrassment, "Back off! This ass belongs to Kevin and only Kevin!"

"Hmm, I wouldn't know what a 'Kevin' is, but I take it that this round bundle of flesh is called an 'ass', is it?" almost as if to emphasise his words, fingers groped Ben dirtily, making him squirm, trying to push off the lean but strong frame off himself. But the Tetraxian resisted.

"Mmm...the red glow spreading over you creamy skin, how lovely..." the alien described the blush growing hot on Ben's cheeks.

"Why...why haven't you alerted your officials?" Ben asked trying to divert the attention of the perverted alien who pushed, what could be guessed as his aroused penis, against Ben's tummy. Who knows, maybe the alien had three of those!

The alien whispered, "I will, but those found guilty of thievery here are not pardoned kindly; which means, should you be discovered, you would be immediately terminated, I would not have my share of _fun_ with you..."

Ben bit his lip in disgust. _Even superior species can get as low as this when it comes to lust?_

"You're a traitor!" Ben hissed, and when the other seven fingered hand toyed with the neck of his suit, he feared terribly that the alien might take off his suit and cause him to choke from the lack of oxygen, abundance of pressure and stinky stench.

"I wouldn't be so much a fool", the Tetraxian hissed, reading Ben's thoughts, "I know that should I remove your clothing, you would be very well crushed to bits. No matter, I can take you to the Air Lounge, that is deserted at the moment; or should I escort you to the Test Centre?"

As the alien tried to make up his mind on which location to choose for molesting Ben, the brunette wondered why Kevin hadn't noticed his absence. His heart drummed furiously against his chest, which was incidentally being crushed by the alien's. Ben wondered what to do, and for the first time ever, he wished he could turn into a Vulphorous and give this pervert a piece of his mind.

Suddenly there was the sound of frantic footsteps, and a voice floated about in a hiss, "Ben! Ben, where are you?!" Kevin finally appeared right into the scene, his brown eyes on the tall and lean Tetraxian half-grinding against Ben who was gripped at the wrists by one alien hand and at the ass by the other. Ben looked like he was about to cry in fear.

"_Kevin...!"_ Ben whimpered, "_Help!"_

Kevin froze a moment. His blood boiled in anger, his muscles tightening so bad it hurt. Frowning like a horrible thunder cloud, Kevin curled his fists, and ran at the alien, "_GYAAARGHHH!Why you son of a_ -"

_SMACK!_

The alien was thrown sideways at the great effect of Kevin's 'how-dare-you-grope-my-babe' punch taking him right on the face. Ben could swear he heard a crunch. Kevin didn't stop there though; no one would expect him to, with his temper. Kevin reached down and gripped the Tetraxian by his collar and punched him on the face again and once more, till he hauled the body up so that he could angle his hits better. The face bleeding green blood, grinned at him, "And I take it that you are the 'Kevin'?"

"Yeah; _THE Kevin_," growled the raven, before finally hitting the face once more, and the obnoxious creature fell backwards, in a panting heap at his feet.

Panting rather heavily himself, Kevin cracked his knuckle bones back to place before turning to Ben, and walking up to the petrified blushing brunette who stood still pressed against the wall. Enveloping the brunette in his arms, he whispered, "You ok, Ben?"

Ben whimpered against him, "Yeah, sorta..." holding him tightly. The three remaining thieves came into view. Beholding the injured Tetraxian, and the hugging heroes, they were stunned.

"He tried to kill Ben?!" Paulo asked, and Jack shook his head, "Nah, I think, by the way Ben's blushing, the sick-o groped him."

Max looked around, "But alarms are not ringing! He hasn't alerted the security!"

Unfortunately, the wounded Tetraxian sat up on his elbows, still grinning, "Gratitude for the remainder!" and before anyone could stop him, he pressed a switch on his breast pocket, and immediately Max seemed to know what the Tetraxian had done.

The elderly Plumber panicked, "He's signalled his squad! We gotta bail! NOW!"

When they all tried to run off, Ben paused, "Wait, wait, just a sec!" and he ran over to the Tetraxian and kicked him in the side of his stomach, making the alien wince and curl up in a foetal position, "Take _that_, you asshole! We humans are not as dumb as you think we are!"

Although they were in a deadly situation they were in, Kevin couldn't help but grin as he pulled Ben and led him to a run with the rest three.

In a flourish, the five were running for their lives through the corridors, away from the guards that came swarming behind them, shooting laser beams.

_*flashback ends*_

Ben panted again. He hated to be alone right now in such a violent situation, and no Omnitrix to protect him or defend him. The four of them had explained to him the way outside while they distract the guards, so that Ben reaches the Alex-Hepha safely with his share of the Antidote. Although he hesitated greatly to abandon his grandpa, his beloved and his new friends, he was forced to run off as fast as he could through the ways elucidated to him. Running again, he took only fifteen minutes to skilfully slither out of nearly fatal shots and grasps, owing to his slimness and swiftness earned from soccer practice. As he neared the ever large exit, he pulled at his microphone, gasping as he tried to speak whilst he ran, "Gwen...G-Gwen...J-Julie! We're coming..._I'm_ coming a-actually, the others are still in there..! Get _Alex-Hepha_ ready!"

When Ben's voice flooded into the ears of the two girls in the ship, they scrambled into their seats, fingers on the controls, headphones on, faces squared, staring at the visuals given by the security cameras of Alex-Hepha that filmed the entrance of the building, waiting for the guys to run out so that the girls could put their skill into action and get them out of there.

Only a slight form was seen tearing out of the entrance in top speed, with a bunch of tall black dressed guards chasing him. Gwen and Julie immediately moved the spaceship (that was in the invisibility mode), and zoomed it to the entrance, humming and whirring in aloud noise, letting itself appear visible so that Ben could see them. Ben turned and shot at the guards madly, taking them all down, surprising himself in the process. Turning back to the Alex-Hepha, he reached out and the large rear end of the ship opened for him to scramble in. Once he got in, he placed the bag of his Antidote aside and ran to the edge of the ship, watching out for Kevin and the others. Gwen and Julie were about to move the ship away, when Ben screamed, "NO! THEY'RE IN THERE! WAIT FOR THEM!" He had to scream because the noise of the ship, and the terrible shooting of the newly-appeared guards, was making it hard to hear anything.

"WE'RE GETTING SHOT AT, BEN! WE HAVE TO MOVE BACK! WHEN WE CATCH THE SIGHT OF THEM, WE'LL SCOOP THEM! CLOSE THE REAR DOORS, BEN! GET INSIDE, NOOW!"

Ben shook his head, "NO! I'M WAITING FOR THEM!" and the next moment, Ben announced, "I'M GOIN' AFTER THEM!"

Gwen screamed back into the microphone clipped to her suit, "_BENJAMIN KIRBY TENNYSON! _YOU'LL DO _NO_ SUCH THING! WE WERE GIVEN STRICT ORDERS TO PROTECT YOU, AND YOU THINK WE'LL LET YOU JUST _FLING_ YOURSELF INTO DANGER'S MOUTH LIKE THAT?!"

"NO!...KEVIN...GRANDPA...JACK..PAULO...! I CAN'T LET THEM DIE FOR ME...!" Ben made to jump off the ship that floated a few inches off the ground, and seeing this through another security camera, Gwen barked at Julie, "Take over for me! I gotta catch Ben before he jumps off!"

Julie nodded frantically, as Gwen zoomed off in a lightning bolt using her manna, all the way to the other end of the long ship. She managed to catch Ben as he was half way running back to the entrance. She caught him around his petite abdomen and tried to pull him back. Struggling against his cousin's grip, Ben writhed, "Lemme go! Lemme go! I'm not going to lose them! Especially not Kevin!"

"We _won't_ lose them! We have to keep you safe, goddammit! They know what they're doing, have faith that they'll escape!" she hoisted Ben off the ground using her manna and zipped back to the ship. Just when she was about to lock the rear doors, Ben screamed out, "_KEVIN!"_

She was already sweating in panic, "BEN! For the last time - " .

"NO, it's THEM! It's KEVIN! They're coming out!" Ben pointed violently at the entrance where the four were running out and shooting at the guards at the same time. Jack flipped Paulo to a side, saving him from a shot. Max pushed Kevin to his left, saving him as well. Paulo shoved at both Max and Jack sideways, while Kevin turned and paused only to shoot a guard dead.

Gwen screamed into her microphones, "JULIE! LOWER THE SHIP!" and Julie, who had already seen the four swarming out, reversed the ship back to the ground flawlessly. Gwen did not wait around for the four to come running on their own feet, she lashed out vines of her manna and gripped all of them, and tugged them towards her. They all came flying at the rear end.

As fate would have it, one of the guards foresaw this, and jumped, grabbing Jack's leg.

"Holy shit!" Jack gasped, trying to kick off the Tetraxian who clung to him. Kevin and Paulo joined Jack in kicking the guard, who with so many feet crushing his arms, he misfired his gun in the pain, aiming to hurt anyone anywhere.

And, as bad as it was, the alien miscreant's hopes were fulfilled.

"AAArgh!" Jack shouted in pain, as he was shot in the arm. Seeing his best friend in pain, a sudden fuel of energised anger made Paulo smack his foot at the alien, right on the face. As a result, the alien lost his consciousness immediately and tumbled down to the ground that was now several feet below. Gwen heavily pulled the group of four into the rear and closed the door that threatened to sweep them all out.

"_Urghh!_" Jack winced, gripping at his arm that bled; the red blotch growing over the arm of the suit. Paulo held him by the shoulders, panic evident in his voice although he spoke in shaking but calm tones, "Jackie, don't worry, we'll do something!" he turned to the rest, panicking because the rip in the suit will cause pressure to rise in Jack's suit. Jack was already feeling light-headed and woozy, and he leaned against the slight frame of his best friend for support.

"We need to get Jack into the Oxygen-Room!" Kevin told them in his alerted voice, but since they were in the rear end of the ship, it would take a few minutes for them to escort Jack to the said room. Those few minutes were more than enough for Jack to die by. In a moment, Gwen had a sudden idea. She shot out her hand and enveloped Jack, and Paulo (who held him), in a bright ball of manna. Her eyes were suddenly glowing pink as she spoke out unfamiliar words in a ghostly voice. The ball of manna encasing the two DBS, glowed a little brighter and dimmed the next second.

Blinking stupidly from within the large sphere, Jack looked at her for explanation. They all did, too.

"My new spell to make my manna airtight. Nothing goes in, nothing goes out, except when I order it. I learnt this new trick from my spell book!"

"Good job, Gwen! Now, let's get Jack into the transporter and whisk him to the Oxygen-room!" Max barked.

Meanwhile, Julie successfully flew the Alex-Hepha out of the planet's atmosphere and further in a way they could not be tracked; she had done more than she had been trained for by Paulo. Pleased with herself, she switched-on the Auto-pilot and ran off from the cockpit to the rear end of the ship to meet up with her teammates and know whether they were alright. She had caught sight, on the security footage, of a Tetraxian hanging to Gwen's tendrils of manna along with Kevin, Max, Jack and Paulo , and she hoped they had got rid of the guard. If not, she was ready with Ship, who slept in her pocket as a cell-phone, to help them fight off the alien.

When she reached them, Gwen was just speaking her words of the new trick she learnt from the spell book. Smiling in relief, Julie looked around at all of them, and noticed details of Jack's hand...dripping in blood...

Perhaps Julie was the only one who remembered that there was a _Vulphorous_ among them. Her face went pale as she slowly turned to the brunette Tennyson who hadn't spoken a word since they were all whisked by Gwen into the rear of the ship, away from harm.

"_Hey, Jack; how about I lick all that blood off your suit for ya?_" came a sly voice, with a sort of sinister touch to the edge.

Immediately they all turned, to see Ben, within the glass dome helmet, his eyes were glowing as fluorescent green as radioactive acid; his lips parted in a grin of sharp canine teeth. His tongue could be seen flicking off his mouth and running across the lower lip in enticed hunger.

"Oh _no_!" Max recoiled; he could not believe he had forgotten about this.

Gwen and Julie panicked immediately, Paulo held Jack tightly around the shoulder, gulping at Ben who was slowly changing his skin to blue within the suit.

And Kevin, who was standing to Ben's extreme left, was out of the brunette's sight at the moment, and he froze at what to do. Max, with his grey eyes on the transforming Ben, held his hand low, waving it to the floor, signalling Kevin to walk backwards and into the shadows. Kevin obeyed, his heart drumming furiously against his ribs and he slowly stepped backwards. He had half the mind to ready the transporter, which was an elevator-sized compartment that could transport the people in it to any part of the large ship. Kevin wanted to set the dials to the Oxygen Room, he knew Gwen couldn't hold on to a strong spell for long and her sphere of manna would soon leak. But any sudden movement from his side, or the noises made by the transporter, could easily catch Ben's attention. Caught in a dilemma, Kevin hoped things would progress somehow by a miracle or such.

The six of them gaped as Ben growled the place down, tearing his suit like when the Hulk outgrows from Bruce; he grew from his slim pretty size to large bulk of iron muscles and blue-and-black fur. Howling in vicious delight, the Half Vulphorous stood there panting, his nose in the air as he whiffed hungrily at the sweet rustic smell of Jack's blood that had dripped onto the floor. The Vulphorous stepped forward once, towards the ball of manna holding Jack and Paulo, his wolfish face eager for a bite, his tail flicking side-to-side.

"_Hungry...so damn hungry_..."

Gwen didn't dare move, lest she lose her concentration that was required to maintain the spell of air-tightness, and to protect the bleeding Jack from being attacked by the hungry half-alien.

Max didn't dare move lest he attract Ben's attention with his bulk form.

Julie _wanted _to move, in order to pull out Ship from her pocket and turn him to the tranquiliser gun, but she didn't have the cartridge to change Ship; it was with Max. Also, the Anti-Half drug was not yet administered to Ben for today; it sat in the living room which was now a long way from the rear end.

And Kevin had slowly inched backwards, reaching the door of the transporter.

There was a bleak silence in the air; the only sounds were the different rhythms of six hearts beating helter-skelter in suspense, and the heavy breathing of the creature that stared down at Jack and Paulo through the glass-like quality of Gwen's manna ball. They all expected Ben to tear down on the sphere and try to break through, but suddenly the large form paused. Slowly, the wolf-head lifted up in the air, his large eyes closing as he deeply inhaled the air, his muscular chest inflating, a momentary expression of erotic ecstasy spread across his face. He has caught something in the air, better than _just_ blood...

His eyes shot open suddenly, twice the toxic green they were. Very slowly, he turned his head on his powerful shoulders to the left, and slowly turned his body as well, away from the bleeding Jack and panicking Paulo.

_God, no,_ Max told himself, _he's caught the scent... -_

The large green orbs flashing in lust fixed themselves on the 'prize' that the scent had revealed to him.

_- ...of Kevin! _

The raven Osmosian stared through the helmet with wide brown eyes, his heart screaming, his stomach churning, his neck burning, his skin sweating, his knees going weak at being caught in the sight of the fatal creature. He should have known; the Vulphorous' nose was strong enough to smell pheromones even in the odd atmosphere of the Alex-Hepha.

The Vulphorous wolfish-face stretched as he grinned ear-to-ear ever so slowly, displaying better his deadly set of razor-sharp canines, each and every tooth shining like polished ivory. Drool dripping from the tip of the long tongue that hung at the corner of the snout.

"_Hello, Kev!_"

- End of Chapter –

* * *

**_Whoohoo!_**

**_That was a good one! :3 so whuzz gonna happen?!_**

**_Mwahahah! Just read on to find out soon!_**

**_Luv u all!_**


	18. I did it again

**_No stalling, lets get right to it!_**

**_Warning : this story contains boyxboy / yaoi_**

**_Disclaimer : I donot own Ben ten alien force or its affiliated characters_**

* * *

**ITS A WILD LIFE**

**_Chapter eighteen: I did it again_**

Kevin stepped back, his eyes running frantic over the grinning Vulphorous.

"B-Benji..?" he stammered, hoping any of that drug they administered for all these days would help him bring the creature back to human-thinking.

That was better believed than done.

"_So hungry...so, so, SO HUNGRY!..." _Ben growled, and in a sudden jump he lurched at Kevin.

"Gyaargh!" Kevin screamed in defence, holding his hands up in reflex to protect his head although he knew it was of no use. But, in a few moments, no tooth tore into his flesh, and no tongue lapped up no blood that oozed. Blinking in the aftermath of the sudden spike of adrenaline in terror, with his heart ringing alarmed in his head, Kevin looked up to see the Vulphorous paused due to pink manna blocking him, protecting Kevin.

"Gwen?" Kevin muttered, and he saw that Gwen, from her frozen position several feet behind Ben, had taken the superior risk to shield Kevin from the creature whilst protecting Jack and Paulo in the special spell.

Julie feared that Gwen might black out; she guessed so, because she had spent a lot of time with Gwen and from the little knowledge she had obtained from her friendship, the Anodite was bound to get easily drained of energy if she managed two separate tasks in cases when one of those tasks needed great concentration.

Julie looked at Max for help, "_Mr.T!_ You have to distract Ben! Gwen won't last long with both spells!"

Max nodded and although panic was seeping through him slowly like a poison, he fought it by taking deep breaths and calming his nerves to think straight. His eyes fell on Jack; and then to Paulo who held Jack lovingly close; then to Julie who stood at her spot for instructions with her eyes on Max; and finally to Gwen who was sweating profusely as was visible through the glass dome of her helmet.

Taking Jack and Paulo to the Oxygen Room was of at most importance. So, Max would have to distract Ben away from Kevin, so that Gwen can forget shielding Kevin and get Jack and Paulo into the transporter and then to the Oxygen Room. Julie and Kevin can, meanwhile, fetch the Anti-Half Drug by accompanying the trio in the transporter and then directing it to the living room after dropping the trio in the Oxygen Room. From there, Kevin would manage the rest of the plan, Max trusted him enough for that.

Max looked down at his laser gun. Closing his eyes, and praying for forgiveness to God for wilfully hurting his own grandson whom he loved so much, he opened his eyes again and aimed his gun at the Ben's bent spine.

_TZAP!_

Ben gave out a guttural roar of pain, and jumped backwards away from Kevin. Max clenched his jaws from the emotional pain it caused him, but he had enough courage to bark orders quick, "JULIE! HELP GWEN GET JACK, PAULO AND KEVIN TO THE TRANSPORTER!"

The angry Vulphorous glared at Max, "_How dare you...!_" and stepping forward, he lurched at Max; whilst simultaneously the four remaining teens ran to the elevator that had enough space for ten people to get in. Once inside, Kevin set the dials to the Oxygen Room and then to the Living Room. Gwen looked through the glass door of the transporter to see the Vulphorous and Max circling each other, trying to get a hit. She turned to Kevin who blinked at her; his face was in utter pallor because he knew that the amount of mental assault Ben suffered by involuntarily attacking his own grandfather, was as unimaginable as it would be attacking Kevin himself.

The elevator buzzed and whirred a bit, and a 'ping!' later, it reached the corridor which contained the door to the Oxygen Rooms. Gwen, Jack and Paulo ran out, whilst Kevin and Julie stayed in the transporter which soon prepared to take them to the Living Room.

"So, what now?" she asked the male raven because with all the commotion going on, it was hard for the normal female teen to think properly. Kevin sighed deeply, sweat trickling down his spine, "Well, we get the syringe ready with the drug and lure Ben to the Oxygen Room."

"What?! Jack and Paulo will be in there, right?! Luring Ben there will make things worse for them AND him!"

"Julie, if we administer the drug to Ben from anywhere else in the ship and Ben shrinks back to his human size, it won't be good 'cause his suit is all torn up and he will suffer the pressure rise. And the lack of oxygen 'cause he musta ripped the oxygen cord of his suit as well! So, we gotta get him at least _near_ the Oxygen Rooms, and then we can get him in as soon as he is human again", Kevin panted, leaning against the wall of the elevator compartment, trying to breathe his anxiety away.

Julie's eyes widened; she had forgotten that detail, and mentally appreciated Kevin for actually remembering it.

'Ping!' they were in the living room now. Stepping out quickly, the teens ran to the kit that sat on the table. Kevin's fingers trembled as he lifted the syringe and Julie handed over the vial of precious drug. He had the syringe fully loaded while Julie put the kit away. Blinking at the Osmosian, she asked, "Now what?"

Kevin nodded, thinking deep. "There are three oxygen Rooms, OR001, OR002 and OR003, in the OR Floor. We lure Ben to any one of the rooms not occupied by Jack and Paulo. Then we get him his shot and... it'll all be ok."

Kevin switched-on his microphone, "Jack, do you copy?" Julie watched as Kevin conversed with the blonde in quick tones.

"Yeah, buddy; and Ben?!" came the answer.

"We haven't got him yet; is your wound treated?"

"Paulo is bandaging me; where's Max?!"

"He's distracting Ben at the rear wing. Ima ask Max to lure Ben to any of the transporters, and get him to the OR floor. You be prepared for Ben, ok?!"

"_Transporter_?! He ain't gonna get in there! Not when he's all berserk! And in the confined space of the transporter, Max won't stand _a chance_ surviving from a cooped-up hungry Vulphorous!" Jack was referring to Ben, and Kevin understood.

"Are you saying you want us to have him run all the way to the OR floor?! That will pose more risk to maximum area of the ship being infected by the virus, Jack!"

"I don't care! And neither does Paulo! We have to get Ben safe, and we're ready for that! You contact Max and tell him to have Ben in the OR floor, Gwen's recovered from her Anodite energy drain! And you get up here as fast as you can; the quicker Ben's human, the better for all of us! Get moving!"

By the time the blonde had completed the last sentence, Kevin and Julie were already in the transporter, with Kevin nodding although he knew Jack can't see him nod, and setting the dial to OR Floor, the floor which contained the Oxygen Rooms.

o.o.o

Max was in much of a dilemma back in the rear wing. He was trying his best to not hurt his grandson who seemed very much pissed at being delayed his meal. At present, Max was trying to keep Ben from running anywhere.

"_Get outta my way!_" came the brute growl, "_OR IMA TEAR YA TA PIECES, OL' MAN!_"

Max was about to retort, when a buzz came from his earphones followed by Kevin's voice, "Max, do you copy?!"

"Kevin! What _now_?!" he answered frantically.

"Max, you gotta get Ben to the OR floor! NOW! Julie and I are on our way there!"

"What?! You want me to get _Ben _in the same floor as _you_?!" Max shot Ben with one of his net guns, but it was not going to hold Ben for long because this net was smaller than the one he had used on Ben on the full moon night.

"Max, we need to get him his shot near the Oxygen Rooms! Think why!"

Max only needed half a second to process the reason. "Got it! But it's not gonna be easy holding him offa me in the transporter!" Max dodged the Vulphorous' attempt to snap his jaws on his bulky form just in time.

"Jack and Paulo know that! That's why they want you to get Ben running _through_ the ship and to the OR Floor! No time, no time! I'm in the OR Floor now, make sure Ben gets here through Entrance Door Two!"

"_Through the ship_?! But that could infect the whole - "

"Max_, please_! You're in danger! We _all_ are, as long as Ben is untreated!"

"Roger that, son!" came the man's determined and final reply. Turning to Ben who was now at the maximum of tearing the place down in anger and frustration, Max grabbed one of Paulo's Anti-Gravity Skateboards. Jumping on to the now levitating green board, Max zoomed off, just when Ben had burst himself free from the net.

Max paused, with the words, "Let's play tag, Ben! Like the old times!" and then he took off when Ben growled angrily, up on his feet, "I DONT WAN' PLAY _TAG_! I WAN' _KEVUHN_!"

o.o.o

Five teens stood near the Oxygen Rooms, watching the Entrance Two.

Gwen stared at the entrance through which the Old Tennyson and the Creature Tennyson would soon come barging any minute. Julie held her best friend's arm in suspense. Jack, with his arm bandaged, stood prepared beside Paulo who also stood rigid and waiting. Kevin simply prayed that Ben was alright and had not bitten his grandpa.

The syringe was with Julie; she had inserted it into Ship, who was now a tranquiliser gun of a special compatible design, owing to a particular cartridge that Paulo managed to get her. This would be easier to use, owing to their skill thrown off balance due to the shock and fright of the situation.

Almost immediately, the Entrance Two was torn open and Max zoomed into the corridor, startling all five. Jack and Paulo simultaneously pulled Kevin by the arm and hid him behind themselves and the girls. The Vulphorous roared in irritation of having to run around and around. Already the huge blue-black chest was heaving and panting, the eyes were flashing a very dangerous jade. "_Get me KEVUHN!_"

"Gwen!" Max called out, "Manna!"

At the command of her grandpa, she lashed out her hands at her cousin, but having experienced the power of the tendrils of manna before, Ben dodged it skilfully; he had already smelt his prize being hidden behind a blonde and brunette, and the Vulphorous wanted his prize, _bad_.

"_Outta the way, bitches!_" he growled, and before Julie could aim her tranquiliser at Ben, she and Gwen were thrown rashly aside by a single swipe of Ben's long strong arm.

With that done, Ben now faced his next layer of barriers to Kevin. He stood in front of the DBS, who stood in combat pose, their curled fists raised in defence.

"Ben, we know you're not doing this on purpose, and we know you can hear us;" Paulo spoke in a clear composed voice that was however muffled due to his suit helmet, his eyes flicking momentarily to Julie who was gathering herself up from the floor with Gwen's help and ready to aim the tranquiliser gun at Ben's back, "But you _have_ to hold the virus back!" he was trying to keep Ben distracted.

But Ben knew better, he turned around suddenly and grabbed the tranquiliser gun by the snout. Julie gasped at the sudden movement, and the next second, Julie was flying through the air with the tranquiliser, screaming as she went.

"JULIE!" her best friend screeched, running after the flying Asian. Max gaped; this was not going well for them at all. The virus' superior ability to learn from its mistakes was costing them dearly. Max's eyes followed Gwen as she raced to catch Julie from the projectile fall.

Turning back to the creature, Max saw Jack and Paulo knocked to the floor unconscious and Kevin now vulnerably exposed to the sight of the fatal Ben.

"Ben..." Kevin stammered, stepping back in fear as the alien licked his lips and stepped forward.

There was a roar and a jump. Kevin held his breath, waiting to be ripped apart, but for the second time, the rush of adrenaline that swept like tides up and down his body, was the only thing that he felt. When he opened his eyes, he was yet again saved by a block of manna. Gwen had not only saved Julie from her fall but also directed the shield of pink to save Kevin as well.

Ben was far too irritated to deal with the female Tennyson; he at once went to work, trying to break down the manna shield that Gwen made to grow and spread around Kevin, encasing him in a ball. Kevin watched in frantic eyes as Ben thrashed the protective sphere that was starting to crack a little, and making Gwen wince as well, as she tried to hold it steady and not to let it fall to pieces.

The suited Max grabbed the tranquiliser gun. He could shoot Ben from where he was, but he was not near enough for a good shot, so he threw it at Julie after alerting her by calling out her name. Julie caught the gun exactly when Gwen's shield gave away under Ben's thunderous hits, crumbling to shards of pink glass-like pieces. Kevin stepped back panicking, and –

TZAP!

The Vulphorous froze in mid attack, his claws raised, mouth open, eyes wide and staring at nothing. For a moment, Kevin stared down the cave of the pink throat. Sweating like a river within his suit, Kevin watched as the Vulphorous growled weak and gripped his own head, stumbling backwards and swaying like a building about to collapse. The blue was fading, the teeth were shrinking, and the claws were disappearing while the drug, that released from the dart pierced on his back, pumped itself into Ben's system.

Kevin nearly blacked out. It was his third fear-adrenaline rush,and it was a little too much at the moment. But he thankfully didn't faint.

Over...It was all finally over.

The relief was flooding Kevin as he watched his beloved slowly start to be recognisable amidst the blue fur and muscle. Julie and Gwen fell in a tired heap on the floor. Max fell to his knees too, catching up with his breath, griping his chest where his old heart pumped away effortlessly. Jack and Paulo were just coming around, sitting up, shaking their heads.

Kevin was not ready to sigh yet; he had one task yet to finish. He had to get Ben into the Oxygen Room before the brunette lost the virus' adaptability to any atmosphere, and completely changed into an oxygen-depending human. Walking up to the confused heap of changing fur, flesh and fabric, Kevin bent to pick up the mutating form. He was heavier than usual of course, but Kevin had borne worse. Stumbling to the Oxygen Room 003, his legs weak in the fright and excitement till a few seconds ago, he pulled open the heavy metal door and pushed himself in. Closing the door behind himself, he faced another door a few inches from him. He opened this door as well and entered the room closing this second door behind him. Once in, he gently placed the panting and completely-human Ben on the floor. Walking up to a control panel in the room, he pressed a few commands on the glowing keyboard, and a flushing sound of compressed air was heard; the room was now airtight with a controlled flow of oxygen into the room and of carbon dioxide out of the room.

Walking up to the breathless form of his beloved, Kevin knelt beside him. Ben blinked his weak green eyes as Kevin pulled away the remaining shreds of his spacesuit. The now nude Ben sat dumb on the cold floor as Kevin took a transparent plastic bag from the cupboard and slipped the torn bits of cloth into it. Zipping the bag close, Kevin rummaged the cupboard and found a marker. With it, Kevin wrote in block letters on the bag:

VULPHOROUS-INFECTED CLOTH ARTICLES.

TO BE DISPOSED AND DESTROYED IMMEDIATELY.

Placing the bag aside, he pulled out a clean change of suit that was already kept in the room, when Ben had been chasing Max.

Kevin knelt beside the shocked and mute Ben. Green eyes looked at the glass dome of the raven's suit. There was no necessity for Kevin to keep the helmet on when there was a comfortable amount of oxygen flowing into the room; so he clicked his helmet off, which slid back, to reveal his glistening face, sweat already trickling down his temples. In a voice a little scratched he asked softly, "You ok, Ben?"

Tears. That was what Ben replied with. Two fat teardrops slipped out of the pretty green eyes that shone like iridescent pools of emerald and jade. His cheeks were blotching with pinks and reds, his face paling, lower lip twitching.

Kevin watched the tears roll off the eyes and snake their way to the jaw-line, leaving glistening dark trails as they went. Smiling sadly, Kevin whispered, "Oh Benji; don't cry..." and he embraced his love warmly, cuddling the naked upper-body against the chest of his suit. Ben could not hold back any more; he broke into bitter sobs against the strong shoulder, gripping the fabric of the suit, his small frame shaking in the effort to stop weeping.

"_I - I did it again, K-Kevin; ... I hurt you all..._." his voice came, muffled through Kevin's shoulder. Kevin stroked the damp brown hair, while stroking the small spine as well, with his gloved hands, "Shhh, love, don't cry; you didn't mean it. It just happened, and we fought against fate to help you", and pulling back to look at the hurt weeping face, Kevin whispered, "And better yet, we won, right?"

Ben looked into the deep caramel eyes in disbelief; he refused to take this optimistically. "I hurt ...I hurt grandpa! I insulted him...; I threw Julie into the air;... I hit Gwen;... I knocked Jack and Paulo out cold...and I .. I nearly...bit you ...three times...!"

Kevin whispered, trying to hold Ben back into a hug, "Ben - " but the younger teen cut him off.

"No; get away from me!" Ben pushed the strong chest off himself, wiping his own face with the back of his trembling, small hand. Turning away from the handsome face, Ben let more tears drip as he choked, "Again and again; I can't take this anymore! I don't want to be your killer! I don't want to be _anybody's_ killer!"

"You're not killing _anybody_, Ben!" Kevin assured him, holding his face in his palms and forcing Ben to turn and look at him, "Don't give up, Tennyson; not when we already have the Antidote with us! Just a few more hours, Ben, and we will be going back to Earth, smiles on our faces, kisses on our lips. Please don't break down when it's all so close to working out fine!"

Kevin's eyes were a kaleidoscope of passion, beseeching Ben's pair to listen to him. Ben's green orbs zipped between both of Kevin's and frowned in frustration, "A _lot_ can happen in 'just a few more hours'; I can turn into this monster again; I can bite you, kill Grandpa Max, eat Gwen - "

"Not if I can help it!" Kevin hissed, pulling the face against his chest, hugging him warmly. Fighting the raven's actions wouldn't work; Ben knew that all too well. He simply let himself dissolve into the safety and consolation of Kevin's body heat. "Kevin, you might as well lock me up in any of the plenty rooms of Alex-Hepha and -"

"And pull a virtual quarantine on you? Not in this life!" Kevin continued Ben's sentence, holding him closer, warming Ben's arm by stroking the lovely gently-tan skin.

Silence prevailed for a few moments, as Kevin let Ben's frayed nerves and unstable emotions settle themselves like sediments in a muddy river that was stirred too much. When Ben's sobs and tears had quietened to nothing, Kevin pulled the small body upright and spoke, "You better wear this suit, Ben. Then, you can have a nice, long nap while we direct the ship to the Floating Xoar."

Ben sniffled adorably, wringing his hands nervously together. Kevin smiled gently at the small brunette who started in surprise when Kevin placed a soft, loving kiss on his forehead. Kevin held him close as he looked up at the camera on the wall staring down at the two with its single eye, red light blinking.

"I know you guys are watching; scoot off, I'm dressing Ben!" Kevin snapped at the camera with a smile.

Precisely on mark, the five faces peering at the screen in the control room grinned as they heard Kevin who looked back at them from the Oxygen Room. Jack switched off the camera and turned to the rest, "And so, the day is saved, thanks to - "

"The Power Puff Girls!" Julie squeaked in tiredness and exhaustion, leaning her head against Gwen's shoulder. The redhead apologized, "She's not sure what she's saying, Jack!"

They all burst into tired laughter, Julie only able to chuckle in her weary state.

- End of Chapter –

* * *

**_Ok I'm almost as exhausted typing this as my characters are by living it! Phew!_**

**_Hehe, the powerpuff girls! Bwhaahah! Im so freaky!_**


	19. At the Floating Xoar

**_Ok, id like to answer a guest review from a person named Guest ( Anonymous much?) and he/she had their review on my tenth chapter The Commitment, saying:_**

:Loving the story so far but just wondering, couldn't the omnitrix fix the problem? It could change DNAliens back to humans and repair corrupt DNA so why not the virus? Also this is similar to the appearance of Benwolf but still loving the story so far, keep it up :)

**_And in reply I wud like to answer: _**

**_Ok, so, u see, the virus is so diabolical and parasitical that the omnitrix wud be completely infected rather than succeeding in removing it. Benwolf's species was not a virus-infecting alien rite? Ben turned into benwolf when the creature scratched his omnitrix and it musta got its DNA in the omnitrix as a result of it. The vulphorous, however, its like the symbiote Venom from the Spiderman universe u knw? It takes over any organic individual that it finds as a host? Yea like tht, this Vulphorous Virus wud take over all of bens alien in the omnitrix and you do NOT want a humungusaur-vulphorous or jet ray-vulphorous, rite?! Whooh, just thinking abt it is sorta like planning kevins funeral! _**

**_Anyway, if you, Guest, are reading this story to enuf to reach this chapter, I hope u gotchyur answer! Thnks for the review too! :)_**

**_Ok...onto the story. But before that ..._**

**_Warning : this story contains boyxboy / boys love / yaoi. Watch out okie ?_**

**_Disclaimer : I donot own any of the awesome stuff except the story._**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

Chapter nineteen : At the Floating Xoar

Ben lay calm in his bed. His suit sat crumbled beside him, and all he was in was his inner tight-suit, with his arms behind his head. Pondering over the breath-taking events that happened oh-so-fast, he sighed to himself. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to simply die; his very existence put his loved ones in pure risk.

The door to the partition that separated his room from Kevin's, opened, and Paulo walked in.

"Hey, Ben. Mind if I pop in?" Paulo asked a little nervously. None of them, except Kevin, had talked to Ben just yet; they all went to their respective rooms, since Ben asked them to take rest for the mayhem he had caused them to bear.

Paulo however knew that the poor brunette needed to let off a little steam.

"Here, Paulo; you're welcome any time", Ben smiled weakly, wiping his eyes that leaked in silent tears, whilst patting the side of the bed for Paulo to sit.

Paulo sat on the other side of the bed, observing the red tinted cheeks and red puffed eyes of the hero he always admired.

"Ben", Paulo spoke softly, taking one of the small slim hands into his, "I want you to flush out all that guilt that's eating away at your insides. Seeing you all broken like this, it's making us all worried sick out there."

Ben sat up, sighing as he ran his free hand through his soft hair, "Is it any wonder that Kevin still wants to be with me after _all _I did to him?!"

"Is it any wonder that _you_ still love him even after he mutated and tried to _kill_ you before you sent him to the Null Void?"

Ben gaped, literally gaped, at Paulo who smiled at him in a smart manner. Although Paulo's argument was perfectly..._perfect_, Ben had to stammer, "But, Paulo -"

"Ben; you're not the only one in love. Kevin's in love too, and from what I know, he is very sensitive to that sort of feeling, and he goes to _any_ length to keep something he likes dearly. And he would do _anything_ to keep you, no matter how 'dangerous' you are. Hell, he would have still stayed with you even if there was no hope for a cure. Look around you; how is it that you're here? In Space? Outside your own Galaxy? It's 'cause Kevin loves you so much to the extent that even the greatest risk of going to Tetraxia didn't stop him from curing you, Ben. Put yourself in his shoes; wouldn't you sacrifice your safety for him if he was a Vulphorous? Would you want him to _sulk_ and _avoid you_ when all you want is to make him well again?"

Ben looked away in slow realisation. All of a sudden, there was a glow for Kevin, inside him. He was not sure what to name it, but was it appreciation? Love? Gratitude? Longing? He didn't know but the amalgam of feelings bellowing from his soul told him that –

"Kevin won't hate me then?"

"He wouldn't! He _couldn't,_ even if he tried. 'Cause you two are like _made_ for each other." Paulo smiled.

Ben looked at the hazel eyes, "Thank you, Paulo..." his green optics gazed beseechingly, "And I'm _so_ sorry for hurting you and Jack!" at which, the DBS teen shook his head, "You're forgetting I was a Vulphorous too! I know you didn't do, or say, any of that on purpose, and hence, you were forgiven the moment it happened."

Ben smiled weakly and there was nothing fake or forced about his smile; his smile radiated, with hope and contentment, "Thank you, Paulo. I was starting to really self-destruct, I'm glad I have you for a friend to talk me outta it and make me see sense!"

Paulo's eyes shone happily, "Well, I'm happy that I could help the Wielder of the Omnitrix!" both his hands now held both of Ben's. His fingers squeezed Ben's slim ones as the elder brunette spoke, "I want you to embrace the fact that Kevin is helping you, and that every time you hurt him unintentionally, he does not take it to consideration at all. Ok?"

Ben took a deep breath, his eyelashes still had beads of remnant tears, but they were soon drying as he whispered, "Ok."

"And the next time you turn into a Vulphorous and you happen to hurt him, what will you tell yourself?"

"That I will be cured. That it's all for good that something bad happens. That it'll all end well", Ben had closed his eyes, letting his own words sink into his mind, body and soul. Paulo smiled widely, "There you are! One's own advice is at times the best a person can follow, and you just gave yourself a pretty good one too!"

Ben chuckled, "Not without your help, though!"

"Welcome!" Paulo grinned. He suddenly pulled Ben closer, his caramel eyes sparkling deep into Ben's jade pair and he spoke in hushed excited tones, "And, you forgot the _best part_, Ben! We now have _five_ vials of Antidote! We are like _this_ close to curing you! And then it will all be over, all this tension and restriction!"

Seeing the infectious enthusiasm in the handsome face of Paulo, Ben too grinned widely, "Yeah, it's all so...fast! And I thought it would take longer than that!"

Paulo replied with a chuckle. His eyes shone from behind his spotless glasses, bangs of brown hair rustling as he cocked his head and asked mischievously, "What's the first thing you're gonna do when you're cured?"

"You...uh...you don't wanna know", Ben winked at Paulo, making the elder blush deeply and then burst into a laugh. The two were laughing and holding hands, unaware of Kevin and Jack peering in from the door's glass window.

"I gotta admit, Paulo is magic. Pure magic!" Jack gaped softly. It was surprising that the inconsolable Ben was now smiling and happy, holding hands with Paulo who was basking in his success of easing Ben from the sadness spiralling down on him.

Kevin gave Jack a weird look, and nudged him with a grin. "What _else_ is magical about Paulo?"

Jack huffed in embarrassment, smacking Kevin on the bicep, "Shuddup, you jerk! Your boyfriend just cheered up, and you wanna toy with _me_?!"

Kevin chuckled, shaking his head. Looking over Jack by keeping his chin on the blonde's shoulder, Kevin smiled, "At least Benji's ok; that's all I want. And in, like, a few days, we will be back in paradise." Jack turned to see the close-up of Kevin's face within the helmet, smiling dreamily. Jack had rarely ever seen such soft looks on the bad-boy raven, and it was quite a sight.

"You're making googly eyes again", Jack grinned, his blue eyes sparkling in mirth. Kevin sheepishly replied, "Sorry!"

o.o.o

Ben finally spoke to all of them; he apologized to all of them bravely and tearlessly. He was given a large bear hug in return, as a way of letting him know that they all wanted him safe and there was not smidge of grudge anywhere, or anyhow, between them. Ben soon dissolved to appreciated tears, ending with Jack making fun of him and Kevin chasing the blonde while the rest laughed off.

o.o.o

Fifteen point zero hours, said Paulo, it took to reach the Floating Xoar.

Every second that ticked in time, brought them closer to Ben's freedom from the virus; it was so evident on Kevin's face. The raven was almost on a sugar-rush, unable to handle that he could finally have Ben all to himself in a few hours time. It was too much to handle calmly. Of course, he didn't run around victory-dancing like Ben would when he was thrilled; Kevin merely grinned ear to ear at everything, to a point even Max gazed stupidly at him, "Seriously, Kevin; if you're like this when its hours away from Ben's cure, I'm rather spooked just _thinking_ what you might do to my Ben when he finally IS cured!"

Every hour struck down slowly, Kevin counted them like the minutes to the New Year. Jack and Paulo were more than thrilled to have Kevin so happy, because seeing Kevin made Ben happier. And Ben being happy meant that the virus had the disadvantage. It was a chain reaction basically. It was all down to a few hours.

Fifteen hours slowly slipped by, whilst Jack and Kevin directed the Alex-Hepha towards the Floating Xoar. It was actually a mini-planet, which was struck by a large meteor, resulting it to be reduced to a large piece of land floating in space, like an island. The Plumbers Agency decided to utilise the abandoned piece of rock to build a Recovery Centre, more of a sophisticated Laboratory plus Clinic. Humans and hybrid-humans were the usual patients, but under the permission of the Magisters, at times even pure aliens were taken in. Named the Floating Xoar after its builder Alamaster Xoar, a half-Human half-Florauna (Wildvine's species), the Centre has been a Noah's Ark for many alien hybrids.

They had very well saved several victims of the Vulphorous Virus, Paulo being one, and hence there was no better place for Ben's treatment. Actually, there was no place other than this at the moment anyway.

o.o.o

"Oh my God, look! It's the Floating Xoar!" Kevin pointed out excitedly at the windshield. Sure enough, there is was, an upturned triangle, with a large dome-like building being the only structure built on it.

"It looks like one of those islands from Avatar the Movie!" Ben commented with a grin. Julie and Gwen made agreeing noises. Max groaned, "How will I explain to them that we literally _stole_ the Antidote they are about to use on Ben?!"

Jack answered with a smile, "Don't worry Max, the Floating Xoar Doctors will not actually have to blame you; we're gonna say WE did it, and all you have to do is play the part of the grieving grandpa who sided with us for his pretty lil' grandson. Besides, the officials are _so_ gonna side with us, 'cause those fucking Tetraxians have many-a-time let down the doctors when they needed emergency supplies of medicines and cures, leading them to lose several of their precious patients. I think we're ok for now."

Max sighed openly, sinking into his seat, thankful for having dispelled the irritating fear had been itching him for some time now. Gwen and Julie patted his large arm with a smile each.

Jack and Kevin manoeuvred the Alex-Hepha to a beautiful landing on the helicopter-pad-like area ahead of the building. Immediately, the radio controls crackled to life with the crisp tones of a lady, "Please identify yourself."

Jack and Kevin did that part well. Soon, they were identified as safe and they were let to shut down the ship. Jack suddenly took off his helmet. Paulo did the same, followed by Kevin. Turning around at the shocked teens and Max, Kevin grinned, "You guys gonna just stand there, or take off that suit?!"

Paulo pointed to the sky through one of the ship's windows, "There's an artificial atmosphere set up on this land; oxygen and pressure are as comfy as on earth."

At the angle at which Paulo pointed, it was visible; a faint rainbow-like line barely seen in a thin arc against the star that sat like the sun on the dark sky of the planet. It was an indicator that the whole planet was surrounded by a larger dome of protective layer of atmosphere mimicking the one on Earth.

"Oh, that's great 'cause I would really like to not have these extra pounds on!" Gwen sighed as she popped off her helmet and shook out her silky red hair. Max, Julie and Ben followed.

Paulo spoke a little hesitantly, "I was really hoping you girls would to stay in the ship; you know 'cause there has been a few thefts of ships lately and we don't really want to leave our ship alone," he looked beseechingly at Gwen and Julie. He added, "And the way you two managed our ship so beautifully from the Tetraxian escape, I think you two will make wonderful guardians! That is, of course, _IF_ you are ok, with, it?"

Gwen and Julie looked at each other with grins. "Yeah, I think we could do that!"

"And it's not like anything exciting happens in the clinic either", Max added with a shrug.

"You girls could use the GameStation if you get bored!" Jack suggested.

The girls grinned immediately, "Deal!" and the guys nodded.

The guys and girls each retreated to their respective dorms, where they took off their tight-suits and wore their usual clothes. Max wore his Plumbers uniform. Jack and Paulo donned their DBS uniforms. Kevin slipped on his grey full-sleeve shirt and black t-shirt, with his dark navy blue jeans and shoes. Ben wore his black t-shirt and iconic green jacket, with his light-blue jeans and sneakers. Gwen was happy to wear her white and blue combination of shirts with her short skirt and dark leggings. Julie zipped up her pink sweater over her white top and skirt, comfortably slipping Ship who was back in the form of a cell-phone, into her sweater pocket.

Soon, the men walked over to the exit door and walked out to the ramp inclining to the ground. The girls waved off to the guys and went in.

Once outside, Kevin and Jack flexed their shoulders. Paulo and Max smiled out at the scenery and odd horizon. Looking at each other, the old man asked, "You were treated here? I heard Ben say something like that to Kevin?"

"Yeah, I was um, a Vulphorous and I was cleansed from here."

Max gazed at him, "Oh", and he nodded.

Kevin asked, "What time did Doctor Sands say he was gonna come here?"

Doctor Sands was informed, during their trip, that they had successfully snatched five vials of Antidote from the Tetraxians and they wanted him to do the Purification Process on Ben. The man was absolutely delighted that there was the chance of curing Ben and he agreed to bring Doctor Stacy with him and reach the Floating Xoar. The Secret Plumbers Base had secret connective methods to places like the Floating Xoar. So, he and his female assistant could reach there before the Alex-Hepha itself.

The five of them happily walked towards the entrance of the building. It was a long way from the ship, but they walked anyway.

Kevin felt happy to feel the tickle of oddly cool breeze of the Floating Xoar. He smiled, breathing in the scent of expert cleanliness. The raven turned, and put his arms gently around the walking, petite Ben, "You ready, babe?"

Ben smiled happily at him, "You bet!" and after a pause he added in bit of a anxious whisper, "Will it hurt, Kevin? The process thing? Like how they treated you?"

Kevin shook his head, pulling Ben closer as he walked, "No, Tennyson, they can use anaesthetics on you and put you to sleep, so you will be happily dreaming of _me_ while they work on _you_."

Ben grinned, winding his slim green-clad arm around the manly abdomen, "True, I will be!" Sighing in relief, he watched the entrance come closer as he walked to it.

o.o.o

"Yes, do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.

She was a human, or at least she appeared to be, judging the fact that she didn't have any funny odd limbs, green skin or extra toes. She was actually rather slim, elegant and beautiful, with dark black hair pulled back to a bun, a slim bunch of hair running along forehead of her hairline to her ear, as a fringe. A pair of mildly-triangular frameless glasses perched on her sharp long nose, her eyes were olive-black, her thick lips were dark maroon, and her complexion was icy white. Dressed in dark green lady-suit, she looked at the five blankly and business-like, from her high-tech desk. A monitor faced its back to our protagonists, the screen into which she had been typing robotically without even looking at the touch-screen keyboard.

"We have an appointment with Doctor Sands who arrived here recently on request," Kevin spoke politely. When needed, the rough ruffian could effortlessly become a suave gentleman. Ben felt so proud!

The receptionist flicked her eyes to the monitor without even moving her head on her swan-like neck. Her long spider-like fingers danced on the plasma keyboard. "Patient for Doctor Sands is named Ben Tennyson?"

"Yes."

"The treatment?"

"Vulphorous Purification Process."

She looked at the file photograph of Ben in the monitor, and then blinked at Kevin. "The patient?"

Kevin stepped aside, letting Ben slip beside him, and smile rather friendly at the receptionist. She looked at Ben, back at the profile photograph and back at Ben.

"You may proceed to the Security Check. The attendant will confirm your fingerprints and iris, to be matched with the profile. Please wait while I process the Permission Slip for Ben Tennyson."

Kevin nodded and then watched as she typed out the details in the form she was soon to print. As she waited for the paper to be spat out elegantly from the high-tech printer, her eyed flicked between Max, and Jack and Paulo. Her eyes stopped at the Plumber, then moved to the DBS and then back to the Plumber. She obviously questioned herself as to what _miracle_ had caused for a Plumber and DBS to stand side-by-side without trying to kill each other. Her faint eyebrow rose a little in curiosity.

Max cleared his throat, reading her thoughts, "Uh, they're Ben's friends. Ben is my grandson," to which she looked at him oddly. Max looked away feeling embarrassed as to why he even _bothered_ answering a question that was not asked at all in the first place.

Paulo nudged Max to walk, since they all were proceeding to the Security Check. In this room, another woman sat, typing away on her keyboard in front of the monitor. She seemed almost a copy of the receptionist, only her eyes were an amethyst purple, and her hair was tied to a ponytail. Her uniform was more of a lab-coat over a blueskirt-redblouse set. She seemed less business savvy and more stylish although not in the offending way.

Kevin handed her the Permission Slip, their eyes meeting for a fraction of a second longer. A slow smile seemed to frailly tug at the corners of her thin lips, but she resisted and let it drop as she took the paper and reviewed the details, entering them into the monitor. Kevin simply looked away, a tiny smirk already on his face. Ben observed this with acid eyes.

She soon stood up, "Ben Tennyson, please come," she directed her hand cordially to a large machine.

Ben's finger prints were analysed, his irises were scanned and soon the report came out of her printer.

"Good to go. Good luck with the procedure," she handed Kevin the paper of her acceptance that Ben was not a criminal in disguise, "Please wait for the male-nurses."

Ben blinked at Kevin, who nodded to calm him. They all stood there as the Security Attendant spoke on the inter-com, "Send in the interns please."

Two good-looking males walked in, both in light-blue uniforms. One blonde and other a red-head. They seemed young in their twenties, slender-built, but not either of them were taller than Kevin. One of them held a pair of...handcuffs.

Ben stepped a little away in confused cautiousness, his shoulder pushing against Kevin's chest. Looking over his shoulder, up at his boyfriend, Ben gazed questioningly.

"Ben, its protocol," Kevin answered, holding Ben at the elbows softly.

The interns walked up to Ben. The blonde smiled at Ben, "Please turn around." Ben looked at him as if the man had grown a green eye in the centre of his head. Defending himself, Ben stammered to the Security Attendant, "I- I don't need to be handcuffed; I am ok! I had my Anti-Half shots just an hour ago!"

The attendant sighed calmly, speaking in soft tones, "It is, as your friend says, a protocol, sir. You have to wear them if you are a Vulphorous. Once you are sedated in the Operation Theatre, they will be removed."

The interns blinked curiously at Ben who turned around and shoved himself against Kevin, looking at him with doe-like eyes beseeching adorably, "Tell them, Kevin! You know I freaked I feel when I'm handcuffed! Why do I even need to be cuffed anyway?! I had my shots, and theres nothing here to provoke the virus!"

Thanks to a traumatic experience in his childhood, handcuffs had always creeped Ben out. And now, to have to _wear_ them, for _protocol_?!

Kevin looked down at his beloved. Holding Ben gently in assurance, the raven turned to the Security Attendant, "Is it really _that_ necessary?"

The woman shrugged, "I'm afraid so."

Kevin looked back down at the green eyes that were distraught, "Ben, look, it's ok, you only have to wear them while we walk to the Operation Theatre! Its a rule here, Ben. Come on, don't you want to be cured? It's just a minute's walk from here to the Theatre!"

Ben looked indecisive, gently weighing hi sfear against his want to be well again. He turned his head to the redhead holding the handcuffs. He turned to Max, Jack and Paulo, who all looked reassuringly back at him.

"No worries, Ben. We're here for you", Max smiled, patting his shoulder.

"Ok", Ben agreed in a small voice. He stepped forward and turned around, his back facing the blonde intern. The man took both of Ben's hands and crossed them gently at the wrists, while the red-head cuffed Ben's wrist in the cuffs. The cuffs looked more like two silver-black-blue amulets, with the chain being only a red laser. It only felt a little cold against his creamy skin, but it wasn't so bad. Turning back around, a little bit of defeat on his face, Ben smiled at the two interns. "Thanks."

The interns smiled back, unsure of what to answer.

"Take the patient to the Theatre please", the Security Attendant spoke to the interns. They nodded and stood on either side of Ben, and led him out the room. The rest followed, while Kevin, being the last to leave the Security Checks room, looked over his shoulder at the woman, who smiled sly at him. He sly-smiled back before leaving as well.

They walked along a corridor where they ended up in a huge circular opening in the hall. The floor was a soft white-pink tiles, polished and gleaming like glass, and there were rooms here and there on the rounded walls. Ben had expected the place to be crowding, like normal hospitals, but there were no one there except the seven of them, that is, including the interns.

"Where're all the people?" Ben muttered in confusion looking around.

"This place is always like this, Ben. Absolutely calm and remote. Kinda like its founder himself. It's kinda weird, right? But that's a fact that there are always patients to be cured but the hallways are never crowded. And we got nothing to worry about people goggling at you, eh?" Jack replied. Ben nodded in agreement. He was comfortable without having people point and whisper at him.

Max took a deep breath as they walked the diameter of the very large circular hall. One of the doors at the other end would lead to a corridor where the Theatre was. And in a few hours, Ben would be back to normal.

They were walking the path to a happily-ever-after, a blooming rose of joy.

But of course, where there's roses, there's thorns. And where there's Ben, there's his small teeny, weeny, itsy, bitsy, _rotten_ luck...

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_Srry abt the long delay, got caught up in a bit of work!_**

**_Yeah, things are gonna be gyooooood! (evil smirk)_**

**_Pls review! (adorable kitty face)_**

**_Bxk freaky out._**


	20. As long as you love me

**_OMG! Its the 20_****_TH_****_ CHAPTER! _**

**_Freakishly cewl! The big TWO-OH! I am so happy :3_**

**_Ok so...let's get down to tha stooooowwwraaay!_**

**_Warning : this story contains boyxboy / boys love / yaoi. _**

**_Disclaimer : I donot own any of the awesome stuff except the story._**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**Chapter twenty : As Long as you love me**

While the guys had been going through the receptionist and the Security Check, the girls were gazing at the beautiful alien scenery visible from the ship's windows.

"Wow, it's gorgeous! It's not all blue and black like our Earth sky, but the purples and pinks are really too beautiful to be true!" Julie sighed, as she watched the night sky with its silvery moon. This planet had two moons, losing one when that meteor hit it.

"Yeah, it's amazing! And also, the oranges and lilac really brings out the cloudless freedom of it!" Gwen agreed.

The two stood side-by-side, elbows on the window-sill, chins resting on their laced fingers.

"The sky reminds me of...Anodites", Julie spoke, her caramel eyes on the sky. Gwen chuckled at her sentence, "Really? Beside me and my grandma, how many have you seen?"

"Your grandma is _all_ I need! She's more Anodite than I would need to understand!" Julie laughed and Gwen joined her, "Yeah, my grandma is really _something_!"

Their chuckles and laughter rang softly for a few minutes, till slowly subsiding into silence. And they went back to sky-watching.

"How pretty the moon looks! It almost reminds me of being on Earth, if it weren't for the fact that I'm watching it from a Spaceship!"

"Hmmmm, true. It's all big and silvery, just like the one on Earth. Like a large beautiful disk hanging in the sky."

The two stared happily at the moon. Until –

"The moon's all, _big_ and _round_..." Julie mumbled, straightening up. Gwen straightened up too. Their faces lost their smiles.

"And _full_..." they whispered together, the green eyes and brown eyes as large as the moon itself, staring in horror at the elegant disk in the sky.

Slowly turning to each other, they faced their deadly pale faces.

"BEN!" they screamed at each other.

o.o.o

The receptionist looked up in surprise when two girls ran up to her desk, gasping and panting out of breath.

"Yes, do you have an appointment?"

"We- no, Ben - he- full moon, - we must- stop- warn -" Julie panted, bending double, one hand on her knee other on her tummy. Gwen added, shaking her head unable to breath faster than she needed, "Ben- Vulphrus- stop- warn- Kevin-"

The receptionist looked blankly at the girls who stammered their odd string of words. What's more, she could not even _hear _the words tumbling out of their mouths, thanks to their ragged breathing.

"Sorry?" she asked in her crisp voice.

"_It's a full moon here! Ben's gonna turn into a Full VULPHOROUS!_" they screamed together with the little breath they managed to get back.

The woman's eyes twitched once, her eyebrows moved up slowly. "Oh, but he's already in - "

"We gotta warn the Kevin!"

The receptionist sighed calmly, "The patient is being fetched to the doctor who is skilled enough. The patient will be sedated and will not transform to anyone's danger at all."

"But, Doctor Sands said something about the gravitational pull of the full moon being involved in the transformation, don't you think that the moon here being larger and closer to this planet than our moon was to Earth, would make a very big difference?!" Julie asked breathlessly, panic infecting her voice to go high pitched.

The woman pushed up her glasses with a single slim finger, "I'm sorry, but he will be alright, he is accompanied by two interns and a Plumber you brought along. And I'm sorry I cannot let anyone past this point unless you have an appointment, or wish to make one."

Seeing that the woman was not catching the seriousness of the situation, Gwen bravely stepped forward closer to the desk so that the woman and Julie were only able to hear as the Anodite spoke in trembling tones, "Look ma'am, you know that guy who talked to you? The one with the black hair and muscular built, who was with Ben? His name is Kevin and he is ... Ben's sexual attraction, and if Kevin's not warned about this detail about the moon here, he will not have a clue about the transformation. Ben is going to rip him into pieces!"

"Please, you _gotta_ let us in!" Julie added beseechingly. The woman looked indecisive as she asked gently, "But how do I know you are with the patient and not an enemy wishing to eradicate him? There are rather strict rules about identity, you know."

Gwen sighed visibly, running her fingers through her sweating fringe, "My name is Gwen Tennyson, I'm Max Tennyson's granddaughter and Ben's cousin; I share a deep resemblance to him right?" and in reply the woman nodded a little unsurely. Gwen impatiently gestured to Julie, "This is Julie Yamamoto, my best friend and she's also Ben's ex-girlfriend, and I might add, they are very good friends now; so, if you would _please_, kindly let us through! Kevin has already been through a Decontamination Process and I have heard that no human can survive more than one! Ben and Kevin consider each other as their lives and Ben would not live on if Kevin is no more! I might add this is Ben Tennyson, Wielder of the Omnitrix, Saviour of the Universe, are there no compromises for _that_?!"

The receptionist gazed rather stumped at the red-head who was leaning in on her, the beautiful teen face emotional and red-cheeked. Julie looked as if she was praying, pressing her palms together, fingers locked, against her chest.

The receptionist blinked and nodded. Pressing the intercom, "Merissa, please give me the status of the patient named Ben Tennyson?"

The voice of the woman was that of the Security Check, "He just left the room after his check. He's on his way to the Theatre. Is there a problem?"

The receptionist looked at the girls and twitched her head towards the door, and the girls raced off, "Well, two girls will approach you, please let them through."

"Patients?"

"No. They have rather bad news."

The next moment, the Security Checks door opened and the two girls tumbled in. Julie spoke in a hurry, "Where's the way to the Operation Theatre?!"

The woman, Merissa, looked at them in surprise, "Uh, what is the trouble actually?"

"It's a full moon outside and Ben is a Vulphorous and...please, ask the receptionist for details , we need to go NOW!"

The woman pointed at the exit door and Gwen caught Julie's hand to run as fast as the two could. Once the two disappeared out the door, she spoke into the intercom, "Bad news?"

o.o.o

The five of the guys walked with the interns across the circular hall. The were walking exactly at the center of the hall when two voices echoed through the hall rebounding in panic from the walls.

_"KEVIN!"_

The group stopped. Max, Jack, Paulo and Kevin turned around. The interns turned too. They saw Gwen and Julie who were running in fear towards them. Maybe the girls knew that if they ran all the way to the guys, they would lose their breath again and be too late in their warning. Or maybe they were just scared of Ben. Either way, they stood several feet away, deciding to shout out their message, their faces pale and shocked, "_Kevin! Watch out! It's a full moon on the Floating Xoar!_"

It didn't take the guys a moment longer to connect the dots. After all, they knew of Vulphori well enough to know what a full moon does.

Max's eyes widened. _Of course... damn it! I didn't see that coming!_

They all slowly turned to see Ben... who hadn't turned around yet.

The slim brunette stood with his back to the guys, his hands cuffed behind himself, his head a little low. The interns stepped back away from Ben slowly. There was a bit of confusion, the guys all looked at each other. There was a momentary silence, when all of a sudden, a chuckle sounded in the air. All eyes fell on the source of the chuckle.

Ben.

His shoulder shook as he chuckled, then sneered, and finally laughed, throwing back his head. The sinister quality of his laugh made them all step back a little more.

"_I am so TIRED of this crap_," the voice came from Ben, although his face was not visible. His wrist pulled apart, the laser chain connecting his cuffs strained taught, "_So tired of trying again an' again_." He tugged his wrists further apart, the chain straining even more.

"_Starving me again and again; putting me in that fuckin' green diet,_" his spine rose and fell as he panted gently, his hands now apart as maximum as possible with the cuffs on. His arms trembled as he tugged further, small lines of bruises etching on his wrists as he resisted the metal bangles. This lines of blood oozed off his now cut wrists, trickling to his fingers.

One would expect Ben to be unable to break the chain due to his slim built, but that hope was dashed to the ground when a sudden creak and a snap sounded. Ben's hands were now raised to his either sides, free. Dangling on his bleeding wrists was each, a silver-black-blue amulet-like cuff, with half a string of broken optic-fibre thread each. His hands lowered themselves and disappeared from view when he pulled them in front of himself.

"_I have HAD it! No more waiting!_" he growled angrily in slow tones.

'Clinck!' the cuffs were tugged off his wrists one after the other and thrown on the floor. Wasted, they were of no use sitting around his wrists anyway.

Turning around, Ben faced his group of friends and family. The interns gasped a little; Ben's adorable green eyes were now a fiery lime-green, his hair going a little dark in colour. It was almost shocking how someone who seemed so gentle and cheery could look so dark and dangerous. The said toxic-green eyes slowly slid over every face, till it finally landed on Kevin's. Kevin had been pulled back, away from Ben, but he wasn't far enough. And the sight of him made Ben sneer a little, showcasing a small preview of his sharp incisors gleaming in his mouth.

"_I'm havin' my fill of Kevin. And whoever stands in my way will become my appetizer_", Ben hissed as he raised his left hand to his right cheek, his tongue flicking out to lick at his own rust-tasting blood that smeared off his wrist, while his eyes visually devoured Kevin's fear-struck face. As the blood tingled on his thirsty taste-buds and boiled his lust further, he grinned wider, smearing his wrist across his lips before letting his arm fall to his side. A small tongue flicked out again, lapping away any red liquid remnant on his full lips for him to relish.

Watching Ben have a taste of his own blood made Kevin's stomach churn. It would have turned him on, had it not been the fact that his life was in danger at present.

A sudden growl and thunderous roar brought Kevin out of his thoughts; Ben was transforming. Rapidly than he had on the full moon night on Earth. He was already taller and growing a tail. His skin was already blue and black. His claws were sharp and ready, his teeth gleamed in his grimacing wolf-face.

The girls squealed, holding each other in shock; Ben was twice scarier as a Full than as a Half, due to the fact that he was taller, broader and more hungry. His fur was a little longer, and his eyes were larger. When the beast was bellowing terribly, the girls remembered the terrifying sight they had seen on that night, when Ben had chewed on Kevin's shoulder. Shuddering, they watched Ben growl, grunt and come alive in a wild manner.

Kevin nudged the red-head intern who looked at him through sweating fringes. Kevin's brown eyes flashed as he hissed, "Please, go around Ben and inform Doctor Sands! _Now_!"

"But I can't...he's standing in the way, and he might eat me if I snuck off around him like that!"

"I'll distract him; take your friend intern and go!"

The red-head nodded vigorously. He turned to his partner and whispered something into his ear. The shock was spread on his face too, but seeing Kevin look at him in hope, he nodded as well. Together, the two men tiptoed out of sight and managed to scrawl off before Ben noticed.

Jack and Paulo cursed their conscience for not having expected this sooner. "Jackie..." Paulo groaned, gripping the blonde's arm in panic, "Will he make it?! We are only a few steps away from his procedure!", the wait and anxiety was too much.

Jack held Paulo's hand as he watched the beast bellow and growl. "D-don't worry, Paulo, he'll make it..."

Almost the next moment, Doctor Sands and Doctor Stacy tore out form the door that led to the corridor which in turn led to the Operation Theatre. Blue eyes fixated on the roaring Ben. Pearl-grey fell on Kevin.

The clever doctors had one intern armed with a tranquiliser gun and another with the drug to sedate the virus. On Doctor Sand's command the blonde and red-head skimmed into the hall, circling the Vulphorous and his group. Meanwhile, Gwen lashed out a hand and encased Ben in a ball of manna to prevent him from attacking anyone. Kevin was caught by the arm by Max and pulled away in the opposite direction, the old man making it for the entrance so that he could keep Kevin safe in Alex-Hepha while they tackled Ben from here. But, the beast saw this coming; he suddenly jumped up, surprising the roof of Gwen's manna ball where she was not concentrating enough, and broke free. In a single bound, the creature covered the ground Max and Kevin sprinted, and for one moment, Kevin was staring right into those humungous green eye, hair's breadth away from his face.

"Gawd!" Kevin jumped back in surprise. The large mouth opened to snap on him, but Max pushed the raven aside to his left roughly and himself fell to his right. Managing to chomp on only air, the Vulphorous turned to Kevin who lay on his side on the floor, trying to sit up. Again the Vulphorous came down on him, but a tendril of manna caught Kevin's leg and yanked him out just in time. Zooming through the air, Kevin was brought to his feet several feet away from Ben and Max. The beast turned to Max this time, maybe a thought of revenge played in his mind. But Paulo and Jack interfered to save Max.

One Vulphorous thereby toyed around with six individuals while his meal, Kevin, stood far off gasping and sweating in the battle. He was being yanked around, thrown around, and he had to run around too, to keep himself alive. His heart was ringing inside his ribs like crazy, and it seemed as fast in beating as the time he took Ben's virginity. His lungs ached too, breathing was hard and ragged, and he felt his knees buckling. But he didn't let all the physical effects dampen him; he needed to help the interns tranquilise Ben and sedate the virus to a zero-resistance. But his very presence would make the matter worse so he didn't want to risk it either.

Stuck in a dilemma, Kevin stood there watching the rest of them deal with an angry, berserk, hungry Full Vulphorous.

Doctor Sands and Doctor Stacy needed to be safe too. So they remained at the threshold of the door leading to the corridor. The male doctor was rather worried; the more Ben stayed about as a Full, the worse it was going to be while removing the virus. And they needed Ben to stay still for the drugs to be shot at him. And Ben seemed to know this; his intelligence was no longer only mad-alien, it was also part human, and humans were very much known for their subtle and sinister thinking, despite their disability in supernatural powers. Ben was deliberately keeping himself moving; swinging around, running, rampaging, so that the interns would miss their mark when they tried to drug him. They couldn't try and get closer for a good shot, or Ben would rip their heads off their shoulders.

Kevin's brown eyes watched the commotion. Although things were happening so fast and quick, and the roaring and screaming was piercing the air, things slowed down around Kevin. He saw it in slow motion, painfully letting him the details of the damage all being caused due to him. Jack and Paulo fought to keep Ben from attacking Max. Gwen and Julie tried to hold down Ben for the interns. Soon, Jack was on the floor hit on the head and one intern went flying against the wall. More growls and roars followed, Gwen helped the fallen intern and healed his wound with a quick nifty spell, and Jack was helped up by Paulo who was thankful that the blonde was not hurt at all. And they all tried again. At the entrance, the receptionist peeped in, too curious to resist watching the scene. Merissa was there with her too.

Kevin knew Ben needed to stay still, in order to be brought down.

Kevin's heart now drummed in synch with the ticking of a clock.

_I have to do something to stop this!...but what? What should I do?!_

Kevin saw Jack and Paulo again. They had been thrown aside, together, by Ben. Landing somewhere near Kevin, they were about to scamper back to stop Ben.

It suddenly struck Kevin. _That's it. That's what I have to do. It's not the best answer but it's the only one._

Paulo blinked to see Kevin move a little towards Ben who was trying to hit all of them together, the Vulphorous' attention diverted from Kevin at the moment. Paulo shook Jack's shoulder and when the blonde looked at him, he pointed to Kevin. Following Paulo's finger, Jack saw Kevin with his brown eyes fixed determined and brave, on Ben.

"What's he...?" Paulo asked, surprised, swiping the sweat off his forehead. Jack panted, holding on to Paulo's arm, while his blue eyes were on Kevin.

What surprised the two even more was when Kevin raised his hands to his head and further to his back, gripping his black shirt and tugging it forward, off his head. Once the shirt was off, he threw it to the ground. He seemed to be about to strip his grey full-sleeve shirt as well, but Jack and Paulo ran up to him and stopped him.

"Whatdyu think you're doing?! You crazy?! Exposing your body would make Ben go worse than wild!" Jack snapped at him, catching his arm to restrict him from removing his shirt. Kevin shooed him off, tugging away his arm, "Lemme go, I know what I'm doing!"

"You clearly _don't_!" Jack replied angrily. The two machos wrestled like that, Jack trying to stop Kevin from taking off his shirt. It finally ended with Jack gripping Kevin's jaw to look him directly in the eye, their faces only an inch away, noses almost touching. Since they were of the same height, they were face-to-face in perfect level, staring at each other in proximity. Electric blue bore into chocolate-mahogany, "What's the hell wrong with you?! Why're you doing this?!"

The beautiful caramel irises zipped between both of Jack's blue ones and he didn't even reply. Jack didn't need the words; he suddenly understood Kevin's motive just by reading his eyes. His blues widened as he gasped, "_No way._..you're not gonna...are you gonna do what I think you're gonna...?"

Kevin raised a hand to the blonde's hand that was gripping his chin and pulled the hand away gently, saying, "You know I am. Nothing's gonna change my mind now."

"But you're INSANE! Is it 'cause I did it too? Years ago I did it 'cause of _necessity_!" Jack snapped angrily, pushing himself off Kevin's chest. Kevin snapped back, "I'm gonna do it 'cause of necessity too!"

"You don't _have_ to! You've got, like, so many guys here to help you! What the fuck are you -"

"We had so many guys to help us too, back then! Did that stop _you_?!"

"Kevin; you can't; _you've already been through a Decontamination Procedure once; while back then, I hadn't_! That's a big difference!"

Kevin lurched forward and gripped Jack's collar and yanked him closer as he hissed into his face, "You see that guy over there? I _love_ him, and I am not going to let _fear of death_ stop me from saving him from a virus! Why should I elaborate to you?! You did the same, so you can understand the storm brewing inside of me!"

"Kevin you can't-"

"Listen up Jack; I'll do anything for Ben. I'm in _love_. But _you_ ain't got enough balls to admit your love. So, how about you leave me to my choices?!"

Jack's blue eyes shrank back. His face was going pale.

Paulo stared in utter confusion. What were these two yapping about? And what is this about doing something? Paulo couldn't understand, but he knew Kevin was going to attempt something not going to end well for him.

"Jackie? Kevin?" Paulo squeaked. Kevin whipped his head to Paulo and then let go of Jack's collar. Kevin turned back to the farther area where Ben fought the interns and his family.

"Don't try to stop me", Kevin warned looking over his shoulder. He walked a little closer to Ben. He was several feet away from the Vulphorous, but he was carefully judging the safe distance for the interns in case Ben decided to do something clever in between. "Move back, real back", Kevin ordered.

Jack and Paulo walked backwards till they were ten steps away from Kevin.

Paulo looked at Jack for explanations, "What was he talking about, Jackie? What's this that you did, and he's gonna do, and stuff?!"

Jack lowered his head, sighing in anxiety for Kevin, "That son of a... he's gonna get himself killed!" he shook his head, pressing a hand to his face.

"Jackie! You didn't answer my ques-"

"You remember years ago, when you became a Vulphorous?"

"Uh, yeah?" he frowned in a fear that came out of nowhere.

"That I 'tripped' and you bit me? Yeah, actually I DIDN'T trip, Paulo; I let myself fall. I did it on purpose; I made myself be a bait so that when you fed on me, the guys could drug you and safely escort you to the clinic."

Paulo's face widened, his frown disappeared as he gaped at his fellow DBS member. His face was twice the pale he was, his eyes were wide from behind his glasses, "W-what...?"

"You heard right, and I know you're gonna curse me or something, I don't know really what, but what I _do_ know is that Kevin is the only person I told my motive to, and now he's gonna do the same fucking thing!" Jack gestured to Kevin who was walking away carefully making close distance to the oblivious Vulphorous.

"You _sacrificed_ yourself, for curing _me_?..." Paulo whispered gently. Jack looked at him, little flustered, "Well, I had no choice, I wanted to help you..." but then there was a sudden commotion that made them both turn to the group fighting Ben.

Kevin had stripped off his grey shirt as well. He stood there in his semi-naked glory and called out, to everyone's shock, "YO, BEN!"

Stark silence.

Not a body moved for a moment's time. Even the roaring had stopped. Ben slowly turned his huge form, towards the direction of Kevin's voice. For a long thirty seconds, the green wide eyes scanned the raven; Kevin was a vision of a demi-god to Ben, a sex-on-legs, his chiselled chest heaving gently, his abs rippling in the effort to strain his panting to a calm breathing, his biceps and triceps all visible to Ben's hungry vision. There was no fear or pallor on Kevin's face. It just made Ben all the more horny, that is, if it were possible to be hornier after visually drinking the sight of the muscular abdomen.

Every other face in the hall went paper-white in suspense; Kevin had just kindled Ben's lust to maximum. And used himself as bait. Jack and Paulo bit their lips.

Ben seemed to not move, so Kevin (taking a calm breath) spoke in rather daring tones: -

"_Hey benji; dinner's served_."

He had raised his arms to his either side in a gesture of submission in defeat, or aptly like as if he was inviting Ben for a hug.

That was all Ben needed to hear. It had shot a cannon inside his tummy and he let out a delighted roar that terrorised everyone's ear. Kevin braced himself for his death-bite.

This was it.

After this, he will never see Ben again; he was obviously going to die, for no human ever survived a second Decontamination Process. But happy that he would be dying in the arms of one he loved deeper than he had ever thought he could love, Kevin clenched his teeth as the Vulphorous ran to him in top speed. Paulo turned away when the large blue-black body pounced on Kevin in full thrust. The two dropped to the floor.

Everything seemed to move super-slow now.

"UUUURGHHH!" Kevin groaned thickly, his eyes bulged from his sockets as large sharp teeth sank deep into his shoulder, the very same right shoulder he was bit not even a month ago, blood spurting out wherever the incisors tore, the thick veins on his strong neck and biceps standing out in effort. Arching his back against the beast's chest, with his mouth gaping, Kevin let the burning heat of pain swim through him in furious waves. For a second the expression on his handsome face would be mistaken for being masochistically aroused. Kevin had not expected severe pain to be so...delicious and arousing; maybe he had been harbouring a secret masochist inside of him; or maybe it was just the satisfaction that it was Ben delivering him to Heaven, or Hell, whichever he was destined for.

They satisfied each other; Ben relishing the sweet blood gushing into his throat, the indent of his previous bite making it easier to enjoy what he had been so cruelly denied for days and days. Kevin actually happy to feel the white hot burn running a marathon up and down his body, his eyes watering in the pain that his mind enjoyed, the alarms ringing and blaring in his head, his heart fighting to pump blood that would only end up into Ben's mouth, lungs ready to work till Kevin took his last breath. Ben held Kevin's upper body a little inclined-up using only one large clawed hand, while the other large hand clawed onto the ground in the unbearably amazing feeling of quenching his burning insides.

Kevin raised his left hand, trembling in the physical response of pain, and he could barely have it move but he managed to place his hand on Ben's large powerful neck, gripping onto the blue fur that felt like soft silk, or like one of those cushion covers he had secretly liked although he mocked them as girly. If anything, he wanted to pull the cannibal closer to himself. His right hand was paralysed in the pain, so he could only hold onto the Vulphorous by one hand on the neck, that too he could not cover entirely because Ben's neck was huge even compared to Kevin's arm.

Consciousness was slowly slipping away. His vision was clouding and blurring like each of those times Ben had him climaxing, only _here_ there was no moving or thrusting. The sharp ivory, enamel triangles moved, slicing into the flesh deeper as Ben clamped a little tighter on to the shoulder, making Kevin wince closer into the fur, and grip harder on to the neck, more involuntary tears spill out his eyes. Ben still smelt of that same fruity smell as Kevin observed light-headedly, he could hear all sorts of sound now; screaming and shouting of people. His ears could only pick up a few words from the amalgam of voices.

_...-shoot-fast-qui-intern-al-in-thank-_ ... the voices went, Kevin was unable to make out who said what, because of the awful buzz humming irritably in his ear, and from what Kevin processed the weird words, he understood that the group of friends were to shoot the tranquiliser and drug at Ben any time now.

As if on cue, the mouth gripping onto his shoulder loosened a little, green eyes bulging.

"Ohhhhurrhhghggh" the beast groaned as he slowly went limp under the serpentine effect of the tranquiliser that pierced his back, every part of his body shutting down one-by-one. Kevin too felt his eye-lids grow as heavy as iron gates, his breath no longer pulling; he was slowly going to a sweet sensation of weightlessness. The limp beast absent-mindedly nuzzled his large head closer to Kevin's bloody torn shoulder, while Kevin smiled gently, his fingers still gripping the blue fur, whispering "I love you too, Ben..." as he slowly blacked out.

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_So Kevin's dead...? :(_**

**_Read on! :P_**


	21. Rays of hope

**_So will Kevin die?_**

**_:D...maaaan am i pulling someone's chain here?!_**

**_Warning : this story contains boyxboy / yaoi _**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any character of the series Ben ten alien force (u knw tht all too well, pal!)_**

* * *

**ITS A WILD LIFE**

**_Chapter twenty one: Rays of hope_**

Gwen and Julie watched in dismay as two unconscious bodies were rushed into the Operation Theatre, a bloody-shouldered raven and a limp, mostly-naked brunette dressed ibn torn jeans alone.

Everyone had their eyes on the lovers who were being escorted away by the two interns and the two doctors.

Max's fingers trembled as he raised his hand to wipe away beads of sweat on his pale forehead. Jack and Paulo still stood close together, Paulo gripping Jack's forearm in concern, their faces pale and shaken as well.

The girls slowly walked up to Max. "Grandpa... Kevin, he'll ...he'll _survive,_ won't he?" Gwen asked, teary eyed. Julie hoped for a positive answer, but the look on Max's face said otherwise.

"I'm afraid the chances are so low that... Kevin is lost to us, Gwen", Max hung his head, his pride for Kevin having shot up to maximum again. Despite being knowledgeable of the fatality of going through TWO Decontamination Processes, Kevin jumped willingly into Death's Mouth to save Ben. Max could NEVER hate Kevin again, that is, _if he ever lived_.

"Why?! Why did he do that? We all were going to take down Ben eventually! He didn't have to hurt himself like that," Julie asked, wringing her hands together in frustration.

Jack's voice came scratched and deep as he answered, "Its 'cause he knew that the longer we stalled in curing Ben, the worse it would become to remove the virus, especially with the rare case that the victim, Ben, actually went through _two_ Full Transformations in _one_ month!"

Paulo looked very much troubled, he seemed to be hiding back tears as he swallowed the lump burning in his throat, "I _hate_ to think if Ben woke up, and there was no Kevin..." and he visibly shuddered.

Soft silence prevailed for several moments; the five of them stared at the floor, while from the entrance door, the receptionist and Security Checks attendant gaped at the scene that unfolded so fast before their eyes. "Now, _that's_ what I call drama!" Merissa muttered in awe.

And all that the five mildly-wounded and shaken people could do now was to gaze at the door that led to the Operation Theatre corridor.

Of course, there were many of those Theatres; Ben was taken into one, and Kevin was taken into another. Ben needed to be treated by Doctor Sands and Doctor Stacy, and hence Kevin was treated, or tried to be saved, by one of the Floating Xoar doctors. They were one of the best doctors around, although chances, as Max said, were so miserably low.

A young male dressed in a white suit stepped out from the door to the corridor. A young Caucasian male by complexion but obviously alien in blood, he had fiery golden eyes and rather odd purple hair that was neatly kempt. He walked up to the five and nodded at them, "Please come with me, I shall take you to the Visitors Lounge." As he spoke, tiny fangs were visible in his mouth, confirming his alien origin. Max nodded back at him and turned to his friends, "Let's go, guys."

Gwen turned to Paulo, "Your ship, Paulo? We promised to watch it..."

"It's ok, forget it for now; we need each other's presence at the moment", Paulo placed a hand on her shoulder. She nodded back at him.

Together they all followed the man in the white suit as he led them to the door. Through the door came the large wide corridor that looked like a glass tunnel. After a few minutes, they were led to another room; the Visitors Lounge, where several floating, black egg-shaped chairs were kept. Three walls and the floor were white; the ceiling was almost invisible being so far above because it was actually an illusion to create a sense of space for claustrophobic visitors, in case there were any.

There was fourth wall was completely made of glass. It had a door on it too, also made of glass with metal hinges and doorknob. Beyond this glass partition they saw the two other doors named "OP 1" and "OP2", obviously the Operation Theatres. There was distance of maybe two or four feet between the wall containing the OP doors and the glass partition, it was possibly built to remove any chance of inter-galactic germs or viruses that could travel from the visitors to the Theatre, by any small chance.

The five of them sat down on the seats in a heave, their eyes on the Operation Theatres. Their world was slowly falling apart into pieces, and within the two OP rooms, there was a chance, a hope, to string the pieces together again.

o.o.o

For three and a half hours, they sat dumb and silent, without talking. Not only were they exhausted, but also unable to decide what to talk about anyway. At times, one of them would pace about in anxiety, someone would sigh a little too many times, a few female sobs would issue every now-and-then, but otherwise, it was a stationary and quiet three and a half hours to endure in painful suspense.

In between however, Paulo and Jack did have a small conversation, in private, without the rest three hearing them. Paulo had kept on looking at the side of the blonde's face, and when the later turned to him, he looked away. Until, Jack whispered impatiently, "You gotta stop doing that!"

Paulo's beautiful hazel eyes had never looked so..._deep_ and _dramatic_, as he whispered back, "Why didn't you tell me earlier, Jackie?"

"Tell what?" although 'Jackie' knew very well what Paulo was talking about.

"Don't play dumb; why didn't you tell me that you actually _threw _yourself into my mouth when I was a Vulphorous?!"

"What use is it if I did or didn't tell you?! It's not like I can take it back or make it undone! Besides; I had to do it, 'cause you are my best friend, Paulo!"

Jack visibly blushed a bit at his own honest words, and Paulo added, "You coulda been killed by me! You think I could live with that, if I DID kill you?!"

Then it was Paulo's turn to blush when the blonde gazed at him with a questioning look. The tension stretching between them was too much of a smoulder that the both of them looked away simultaneously.

Paulo bit his lip, now worrying how destroyed Ben would be when he comes out all happy and cured only to find Kevin's corpse with a humungous bite-mark on his shoulder. Jack buried his head in his palms, praying to God to save that jerk of a Kevin who was the bravest guy he's ever seen yet.

And that was an hour ago. And it was all the two could talk, before sinking into the suddenly heavy silence, so dense that one could slice it with a knife into two smooth halves.

Then, the hour later, the OP 1 opened. The doctor, who was treating Kevin, stepped out. He was a little tan in the skin, with dark blue hair and small, wise, green eyes. The moment he had stepped out the room, the five of the protagonists jumped to their feet in fearful hope. The doctor walked to the glass partition and opened the glass door. He approached the fearful group and spoke, "You are all with Kevin, I presume?"

"Is he...?" Max asked his voice wavering a little.

The man smiled and stepped aside; directing a hand to the OP1, "See for yourself."

The last person on their mind calmly stepped out of the OP1.

Kevin Ethan Levin.

Completely fine and alive.

A great, collective, strangled gasp issued from the group as they watched Kevin walk from the OP 1 door to the glass partition and finally place himself beside the doctor. Kevin was all-smiles and happy; he was in his patient's uniform, the shirt a little too tight for his build, marking out the contours of his chiselled body, while his pants were loose and airy. He looked the same Kevin who had walked out of the Alex-Hepha ship, only this time, in different clothes. Also, he was not in any bandages or slings, which meant that he was absolutely, and completely, cleansed and healthy.

"_KEVIN!_" the girls pounced on him without a second thought the moment he reached them, and Kevin cheerfully embraced them with his muscular arms, smiling. When they pulled apart, both girls had tears in their large, feminine eyes. Meanwhile, Jack, Paulo and Max sighed like they could now die in peace.

"We thought you were..." Julie started, unable to finish her sentence. "We were so scared that you'd..." Gwen added, ending up in the same tongue-tied state as the shocked Julie.

Kevin smiled at them again, "Well, I'm alright now, ain't I?"

He turned to the rest three; Paulo, unable to hold back any further, decided to throw aside his pride and jumped into a hug, gripping Kevin tightly. He almost dissolved to tears, but he pulled back to stare at the face in melting warmth, "Kevin, you ass! Thank God you're ok!" At this, Kevin smiled sweetly in reply.

When Kevin turned to Jack, the blue-eyed DBS looked like he was struck down with a bolt of lightning. Looking rather miffed or embarrassed, the blonde muttered, "We were worried sick. Literally."

Kevin walked up to him and gave him a warm hug too, which the blonde at first froze in, and then returned in relief. Pulling back, he took one of Jack's hands and spoke, "I said some harsh stuff before; I'm sorry about that. I was so caught up in saving Ben, that I didn't watch what came outta my mouth."

Jack shook his head, "No biggie, Kevin; and what you said was...sorta true. Speaking of saving Ben," Jack turned to look at Max, who seemed like he was on the verge of fainting as he strained to keep himself into bursting to tears. Kevin offered him a warm smile, "Hey Max, you were worried about me, too?" at which the older man frowned in despair as he, for the first time ever maybe, enveloped his grandson's boyfriend in a warm embrace, "What you did has no equivalent, Kevin. You suffered _two_ Decontamination Processes for my Ben; that is all I need to acknowledge your good side," and from within the bear-hug, Kevin's eyes sparkled as he held on to the large man.

When the old man let go before he choked Kevin to death, he spoke again, "Kevin, do you realise that you're a _walking miracle_?!"

Turning to the doctor who watched the spectacle with a warm face, Max asked, "It's not that we regret it, but how did Kevin manage to survive _two_ of the Processes?"

The doctor replied calmly, "Any human or hybrid would not have survived, that is true. But the benefit of the proximity between the two Processes, that is, in other words, the time span between _this_ Process and the one he had received before, is so small that it actually helped me in cleansing Kevin. You see, his Osmosian blood had actually mimicked or imitated some of the qualities of the drugs used by Doctor Sands and hence helped me cleanse him quicker, faster and efficiently, and it prevented any fatal injuries. He did not need anaesthetics to prevent pain, because his blood seemed to have already done that job, as surprising as it is! Usually the use of the virus-removal drugs on a body that has already used it would instantly result in the patient's death; but in Kevin's case, it came as a boon. I might add though, this was maybe his luck as well, and it does not have to happen again. Also, the better news is, Kevin may be the only individual of his age to have survived two Processes, so I suppose you are a very blessed teenager, Kevin?"

Kevin grinned at him widely, "My blessedness started when I met Ben a few months ago." Max winced a little at the innocence of Kevin's otherwise mature voice.

The doctor smiled seeing that the five wanted to spend time fawning and fussing over Kevin, so he spoke in his clear voice, "I shall leave you all alone for now", and the man nodded at all of them, before walking away back to the OP1.

Soon, they all showered Kevin with great attention, he was apologizing for putting them all in a state of frozen shock, and he even told them that he felt rather happy that there were people who actually worried about him so much. He now felt as if he had a family, something he was devoid of since the tender preteen years of his life.

And within, Kevin's heart soared as he thought of Ben who would soon be in his arms again, purring for a kiss.

Now that Kevin was alright, the five could anticipate about Ben. Paulo's face muscles hurt as he grinned ever so wide, feeling ever so happy. He saw a lot of himself in that pretty, little brunette and he only wished the best for him. Jack was glad that the tragedy he had expected was no longer valid. Gwen and Julie smiled wide too; Kevin was now a hero as important as Ben, and Ben himself was their own little friend/cousin whom they loved so much despite the odds.

Love and family-warmth flowed around the tightly huddling group, like a halo.

o.o.o

Kevin fetched his clothes from the doctor and the rest of it from the floor of the Hall where he had ditched it during his daring but successful attempt to quieten Ben-Vulphorous.

An hour later, the door to the OP 2 opened, and a rather anxious Doctor Stacy appeared, almost tripping over her own heels as she stepped out the threshold. Her white coat was a little blood-splattered but otherwise she was a bearable sight. Halfway to the glass partition, in a stressed voice, she spoke out, "Is Kevin-"

But seeing the raven amidst the group, healthy and well..._alive_, she stopped in her tracks, and let out a relieved sigh. Straightening up, she smiled almost apologetically as she said, "Sorry, I just, wanted to make sure I didn't have to give Ben bad news."

"And Ben...?" Kevin asked, stepping towards the glass partition as well. But the Doctor raised her hand saying in defence, "He is still under the final stages of treatment. Don't worry. I have to get back and assist Doctor Sands now."

Saying thus, she walked back to the Theatre in a rush, disappearing behind the door she closed after herself.

The group blinked at the glass partition, and then at each other.

A large hand placed itself on Kevin's shoulder. He turned to see Max who looked down at him, with a weak smile, "Ben's gonna be fine."

Kevin smiled back, "He's _your_ grandson; so I guess he's got the survival skills in his blood."

Max shook his head sagely, "You got nerve praising me indirectly, boy!"

Kevin just chuckled in reply.

o.o.o

After another two hours, (in total, six and a half hours since Kevin and Ben were taken into the OP rooms) the door of OP 2 opened. Doctor Sands stepped out, a rather suave smile on his face. Seeing the group jump up from their seats, he almost grinned. He took a few steps from the threshold and stood aside. Looking into the OP 2, he whispered to the person within, "Come now, they're all waiting to see you; especially a _special someone_."

A small brunette stepped out shyly from the room, wearing the soft-mint green patient's uniform.

- End of Chapter -

* * *

_**okie, tht was a sorta small chapter, but its going out to all those who read my story till the last chapter and are decaying away by wondering whether kevin's dead or not! :P**_

_**yup, scylasama, u were rite abt kevins non-human side contributing to his successfull recovery! :3**_

_**pls stick around for the next chapter!**_

_**lots of lovey-dovey-ness to come! thnk u!**_


	22. Back in my arms

**_Kevin : (wriggling in excitement) ooh! Im gonna meet Ben!_**

**_Me : (sighing, waving a hand in a calming fashion) just quit ur cooing and read!_**

**_Warning : this story contains yaoi / boyxboy_**

**_Disclaimer : I do not own anything as in characters. I do own this story coz its a part of my stinking imagination :3 bear with me!_**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

_**Chapter twenty two : Back in my arms**_

Ben blinked rather angelic as he stepped out of the room. His skin had toned down a little tan due to the cleansing, and he glowed like Snowwhite. His silken hair was twice its texture in silk, glossy in the lights of the Visitors lounge. He was dressed in a different patient's uniform than Kevin; what Ben wore was a small mint-green tunic that reached only a few inches below his waist, making him look like a young, flat-chested girl in a tube top. The sides of the cloth were wide open from top to hem, and what held the front and back flaps of the uniform was a string each. His slim hands appeared satin-like, his slim legs were bare to see, as he gently walked over slowly to the glass partition. Looking a little lost, his eyes were fixed on a particular ruffian who was staring back at him like the Prince Charming who saw Cinderella at the Ball for the first time.

Kevin had his mouth open a little as he saw Ben, literally shining in glory, and his skimpy dress made it better. Kevin slowly approached the glass partition as well, almost forgetting to breath. The group watched, some of them turning to Max, who whispered, "Let Kevin have his love-moment with Ben; we can meet him after that."

Ben was feeling rather light and airy; the process had been painless and he didn't even know it happening. The process had cleansed him all over, his skin, his hair, his outer organs, inner organs; he felt like he was washed over and over again, as if he had lost weight, as if gravity was nothing to him, as if he could float off. He had never felt so clean and free in his soul. He took a deep breath, and he loved the feeling of air filling up his newly-cleansed lungs. He could feel his newly-cleansed heart beating merrily in his chest, pumping newly-cleansed blood to sustain him. It was like having his house re-painted, with new furniture and re-arranged all together; that feeling of seeing a makeover. He loved it.

Kevin, on the other hand, could not suppress the balloon of joy swelling up from inside him, which had stalled his tongue, and made his lungs stop and his heart ring madly and madder yet. All he could do was walk carefully and slowly to the glass partition, his face wearing an enchanted expression as he beheld the brunette on the other side of the glass door. Time had slowed down to seven seconds for one.

Slowly the both of them faced each other, the glass door being the only thing separating them. Slow, romantic smiles ghosted across their lips, their eyes dripping in love. Kevin's hand raised to place itself on the glass, sliding across the smooth surface to the knob. He tried to turn it but it didn't move. He looked at the silver knob and then at Ben, who lifted his pinkish palm and gripped the knob from his side of the door. Kevin let go and watched Ben turn the handle and it clicked. Kevin slowly stepped back as Ben pushed at the door, opening it, Kevin then stepping aside to let the door pass.

Now, nothing stood between them. Kevin put out his hands ever so slowly, Ben walking into them, their breaths low and heavy. Calloused palms gently placed themselves on Ben's arms as smooth as the glass itself. Ben took a step closer, his cherubic face looking up at the taller teen, green eyes singing in passion, and the brown pair sang back with just as much intensity. Kevin's palms gently slid up the bare arms, enjoying every second of time as his tough skin laced over Ben's soft creamy flesh. Slowly, Ben's hand reached out and fingers curled over Kevin's shirt at his waist. Kevin's hands now cupped Ben's small round face, his right thumb brushing across Ben's full lower lip, which opened a little in feeling. Ben's chest rose and fell in soft heaves, as he moved closer to the large muscular body, his breath now warming Kevin's collarbones, his slim arms winding around the strong, broad waist.

"_Oh come on! Kiss already!_" Paulo whispered to himself in suspense, his eyes fixed on the two, his face turning rosy red as he gripped excitedly on to Jack's arm, who, by the way, watched the two heroes in a dazed curiosity, like the rest of them.

Kevin tilted the small face up, his own face only inches away. As he brought himself tantalisingly close, a suddenly sting of reflex made him stop a little. But he ignored it the next second; he knew it was _that_ reflex that prevented him from kissing Ben when he was a Vulphorous. But there was no fear or pulling back anymore, was there?

In that one millisecond when Kevin had paused, Ben could not wait. Kevin lost his breath when he felt a pair of lips brush over his. In a sudden movement, Kevin kissed him, deeply, their shoulders squeezing, Ben did not wait for Kevin's tongue to beg; he opened his mouth from within the kiss, and Kevin slid his tongue in. They kissed, deeply, their lips locking seamlessly, tongue rapidly tornado-ing after the days and days of wait, the happiness was gushing into their souls in great waves. And to think they had missed this feeling for so long! They could not get enough of each other, one of Kevin's hands dropping to hold the bare skin of the waist that showed through the vertical gap in his uniform, and his other hand fondled Ben's hair, the soft strands of silk feeling like heaven; while Ben's fingers gripped at the back of Kevin's spine, pulling him as close as he could, till he loosened them and decided to wind them around the strong column of neck, pausing for Kevin to detangle his arms and hold Ben around the waist. They did not pull apart, their eyes closed, enjoying the tender loving feeling on the sensitive skin of their mouths; Ben standing on tip-toes for better access. With their chests heaving against each other in crashes, they kissed as far as their lungs would let them, till they had to separate in a great gasp, a string of saliva extending shortly between their tongues, before snapping away. Ben looked up at the Osmosian's face, his own blushing sweetly as he whispered, "Did I ever tell you how sexy you are?"

Kevin blinked at him, a lazy smirk playing on the corner of his lips, as he caressed the half bare waist, pressing his lips to the pinkish red cheeks, "A couple 'o times. Why mention?"

Ben blushed further, leaning to return his action, by kissing him on the cheek, "My eyes can now see far clearer than I could, and you're a _great _sight."

Kevin smiled, holding him closer, Ben's arm around his neck hung gently. He pulled Ben in to a warm hug, one hand now stroking the brown hair, the other stroking his spine. Ben wanted to simply dissolve into the powerful arms holding him. When they regained their breaths in less than a few seconds, they went back into more quick kisses; lips, neck, forehead, cheek. Again and again, they seduced each other's mouths, almost making up for the days they had missed out on.

When they pulled apart again, they were panting gently, warmed breath falling on each other's faces.

"Well? No angry comments on how pissed you are about me risking my ass to save yours?" Kevin asked gently, his eyes observing Ben's. The small male actually smiled in return, "Well, it hurt _terribly_ to see myself maul you yet again; but I think I've finally learnt to accept the selfless help you do for me. And, I feel really happy that you would go through the length of anything for me. If anything, I just love you even more!" Ben sighed, warming into the hug further.

"I'm glad to hear that! I gotta admit, I was kinda scared that you would not ever come near me fearing I would do more stuff like that for you. But I guess you're finally getting the idea; I'm so glad!" Kevin sighed too.

There was a moment of silence, where they listened and felt the beating of each other's hearts.

"I missed you so much, Ben. The feel of your tongue against mine, I can't really live without it; so in a way, I've been dead for days", Kevin moaned into Ben's forehead as he hugged him again. Ben's eyes shimmered as he hummed into the neck, "I missed you, too. I love you, Kevin."

"I love you too, Benji."

Kevin felt like he was atop the whole world now; he finally was in possession of the greatest thing that ever happened to him in his otherwise negative life.

Kevin's eyes moved to see, over Ben's brown haired head, Doctor Sands and Doctor Stacy observing them, each with a small smile of congratulations. His smiled back. His irises moved to his left and he saw the group of five gazing at them, each and every one of them blushing deeply at the romantic scene that unfolded live in front of their eyes.

Kevin pulled himself away a little, caressing Ben's cheek with the fingers of his right hand, "Benji, I can't really be selfish and keep you all to myself at the moment; I think I have to share you with the five over there. How about you go meet them while I take care of the important paperwork of your cure?" Kevin twitched his head to his left in a gesture to show the stupefied five. Ben nodded and pressed a final kiss on Kevin's lips, which the later had to fight against himself from turning it deep. Ben untangled his arms from around Kevin's neck and smiled at him, Kevin smiling back. Ben watched the teen as he walked to the doctors who led him into an office room. Ben turned around to the group, smiling at them in joy.

"BEN!" they all screamed in happiness. At once the small brunette was pounced upon, by the group of beloved people.

Meanwhile, the receptionist and Merissa peeped in, just in time, and watched this kiss-scene too, both blushing terribly. "That was one of the hottest gay smooches I've seen in a while!" Merissa spoke in awe. The receptionist frowned at her, "Now, now, we better not lag in our duties due to watching what clearly is not our business!"

"And yet here we are!" Merissa grinned. The receptionist shook her head.

o.o.o

"Now we all can go home", Max sighed, as he held his small grandson in embrace, while the brunette chuckled against the burly form.

"Successfully," Jack added. The rest of them nodded. It has been a long day, or night, which ever they didn't quite care; Ben was safe, Kevin was alive, they all were victorious in removing the virus out of Ben's life.

Jack and Paulo decided to go over to the ship and ready it for takeoff. Max decided to walk into the office where Kevin talked with Doctor Sands. Gwen and Julie stood there with Ben, until Max told them to take Ben to Alex-Hepha and have him rest a bit, while he fetched Ben's clothes from the doctor.

Once, in the ship, he was treated like royalty. And he seemed to have lost the strength in his legs from the cleansing, and so, Jack offered to carry him like a bride to his bedroom, which Ben at first hesitated to agree but seeing that Paulo was the one who hinted Jack to do so, he agreed. The blonde hence carried the almost weightless brunette to his bedroom, Paulo following. Once tucked in, they left Ben to his thoughts forming in his cleansed brain.

"_I'm finally free again; I didn't have clue how liberated I was before I was a Vulphorous. And after that, I realised the actual pain of being separated from Kevin! And all those things I could not do!"_ he sighed to himself, as he stared up at the ceiling.

"_Now I can eat whatever I want! I can watch whatever I want! I can listen to whatever I want! And do whatever... I ...want._..", Ben's face flushed over when he imagined Kevin pressing his large self down on his small body, his lips meandering lazily over Ben's cheek, his fingers holding tight to Ben's wrists raised high above his head against the bed frame, his one strong knee pushing against his -

"_Oh_..." Ben turned over to his side, hot and bothered; happy that he need not restrict his thoughts anymore, now that there was not going to be any sick virus to kill Kevin. He could imagine and fantasise about the muscle-body, the smiling face, the jet-black hair he loved to grip and the look in his caramel-chocolate eyes that spoke of strong genuine love.

Oh, the very sight in his head made him shudder in excitement, anticipating all that they could do once back in earth.

o.o.o

After an hour of sweet clean slumber, Ben woke. He felt a presence beside himself, and he turned over to see Kevin sitting at his bedside, stroking his soft brown hair. Ben's eyes darted around the room and saw that Jack and Paulo had taken down the partition between Kevin's and Ben's rooms, and now their room was single again with two beds. Kevin brushed his fingers over Ben's forehead, "Had a good nap, honey?"

Ben turned over to his other side, cuddling against Kevin's thigh, "Yeah."

"Here, you put this on," Kevin pointed at the neatly folded black shirt, iconic green jacket and jeans, "You can't walk around in that tiny top enticing me in front of your grandpa!"

Ben chuckled at Kevin in answer. Sitting up, Ben nodded, pushing at Kevin's shoulder, "Now off then! I'm not changing in front of you!"

"Dang", Kevin pushed out his lower lip in mock pout. Ben giggled again, only to stop when Kevin pulled him into a heated kiss, which Ben responded to, pretty well. When they pulled away, the younger male was blushing ever so adorably. Kevin planted his lips on the burning cheek, before getting up and shrugging, ruffling the newly glistening brown hair, "Come on! Get dressed! Doctor Sands and Doctor Stacy wanna see you before we take off!"

o.o.o

"Are you going to accompany us, Doctor Sands?" Ben asked politely. He and the rest of the group had a conversation with the three doctors; Sands, Stacy and the one who treated Kevin, Doctor Merculio. His wise green eyes smiled as much as his thin lips.

Doctor Sands answered Ben's question, "I'm afraid not, Ben. Stacy and I will come to leave for Earth in a few hours time; we have a few appointments that have been asked of us to conduct."

Doctor Merculio smiled again, "Arrangements will be made for Doctor Sands and Doctor Stacy to leave for Earth, exactly the way they came here. You need not worry."

"Of course, the two of us will reach Earth earlier than you all, so once you are home, you must bring Ben over for a quick check up at the Secret Plumbers Base. And every once in a week for a month; after all, we do not want any remnant virus-specimen dwelling in Ben, now do we?"

Kevin blinked in alert, "NO way in hell we do! I'll make sure Ben gets his weekly check-ups, sir."

Max smiled, "Well, we'd better get going then, we aimed to have this trip completed before Ben's parents return from their vacation. They have no idea about Ben's infection and we wish to keep it that way!"

Doctor Sands nodded; and in unison, Doctors Sands, Stacy and Merculio spoke, "Have a safe journey!"

o.o.o

Stacy watched Ben and Kevin as they chatted while Jack and Paulo refuelled the ship. It was precautionary in case they ran out of fuel before reaching Earth.

Stacy had seen many male-male couples, but none as committed as Kevin and Ben. At times, she gazed at the two like as if witnessing some natural phenomenon that was fascinating. At the same time, she felt warm to see the two all loving and cuddly, and she was eager to see them happy for ever. She had been worried when she saw Kevin sacrifice himself for Ben's safety and it simply brought her more fondliness of them even further.

As she gazed at them from the circular window of the Doctor's office that was empty at the moment, she suddenly felt a numbness grow in her head. Stepping back, she blinked several times, each time, instead of clearing her vision, it blurred further.

She saw, in her head, an image; or a mirage, she couldn't tell which.

_Two eighteen year old boys stood facing each other, both blondes, the taller one holding the younger's hand in between his both. He then spoke, his voice echoing and whispery, "Stan, I just want to tell you that I love you. A lot."_

_The younger male tilted his head at him, "I know. We have been friends for so long and now lovers for a while, haven't we, Phil?" he smiled tenderly at the elder._

_Phil sighed, "Yes we have; but our professions are dangerous, it puts us in constant risk of death, maybe even worse..."_

_"We embraced that fact fearlessly when we agreed to this profession, didn't we? Then why are so all so suddenly..?" his eyes beseeched in confusion. Phil's sparkling blue eyes were dense as he continued, "Anything can happen to us, Stan; and I want you to understand that if anything were to happen to us, I will still go on loving you!"_

_"Phil, I know that too. Why are so being so bothered about it? Don't you trust my love enough?"_

_"I do!" Phil spoke a little alarmed, "But suppose one day you lose your memory or something, I just want you to know that I will protect you from everything even if you wouldn't remember me." He brought the small hand to his lips._

_Stan blushed, "And you shall expect the same of me, Phil."_

_The handsome face of the teen named Phil, smiled; his smile was so beautiful and genteel..._

Doctor Stacy's head suddenly whirled in supreme pain, "Urgh!" she groaned as she pressed her fingers to her left temple, whilst staggering in the loss of balance. She gripped on to one of the chairs, but her legs were giving away.

It was her luck that Doctor Sands happened to enter the room. He caught the sight of Stacy stumbling and showing signs of about to swoon.

"Stacy!"

In quick long strides, the tall man was at her side, catching her pertly at her waist before she fell on the floor as she went limp, her head falling on his shoulder, her hands gripping at the sleeve of his lab-coat.

"There, there, now", he soothed her with his smooth voice, helping her stand properly. In a few minutes the blur and confusion of her mind cleared away, and her balance and consciousness came back into power. Blinking up at the handsome face gazing down at her, she blushed a little.

Doctor Sands smiled friendly, "Are you alright, Stacy?"

"Ye-yes I am now, Doctor; thank you", she straightened herself, straightening her coat respectably.

"You were light-headed. Is your pressure low?" he asked in concern, but she smiled, "No uh, It... it must have been the change of location; the Floating Xoar is very much different from Earth isn't it?"

For all she knew, it really must be the atmosphere showing her odd gay images of two blondes. Shaking her head, she smiled, "Shouldn't we be on our way to an appointment, sir?"

"Ah, yes" he smiled widely, "Almost forgot that."

- End of Chapter –

* * *

**_So the reader wud think "oh! Ben and Kevin are finally together! The story is soon over!" but aha! More stuff are gonna happen!_**

**_Hint: wht abt Jack and Paulo?! Do you think Kevin wud let them off tht easily?! And wht abt this phil and stan that Stacy saw in her head?!_**

**_Bwahahah! U guys wait and see :3_**


	23. Matchmakers

_**in britney spear's words in the song 'break the ice'... :**_

_**"its been a while, i know i shudnt have kept you waiting, but im here now..."**_

_**heheheh! srry for the long delay! i was busy with my merman kanoua and my fairytale ben and kevin! :3**_

_**my lovely readers! i give you a half cooked meal of a chapter! poor me... **_

_**to the story -**_

_**warning : this stroy contains yaoi**_

_**disclaimer : i do not own ben ten alien force**_

* * *

_**ITS A WILD LIFE**_

_**Chapter twenty three : Matchmakers**_

There were forty point six hours to the Wormhole Cross from the Floating Xoar, which meant almost two days. And in those two days, the troup of seven had to put on their suits, which meant agony for Kevin and Ben. After all, since the long wait, they had to restrict their kisses _again_!

But nonetheless, it called for celebration and as the Alex-Hepha was switched to auto-pilot for the Wormhole Cross, the teenagers had a lot of fun playing on the Gamestation for hours on end, while poor Max took well-needed naps. When they were bored of the endless games, they played in the Anti-Gravity Room, which Jack and Paulo used for extensive training, and was sued for now as some sort of artificial sky-diving.

When it was time to sleep, Ben and Kevin could cuddle in the warmth of their oxygen-rich bedroom, without the suits, in a single bed. But they did not engage in any 'dirty action' yet; for as much as they loved each other, the past events in the few days had them drained of sleep, and so, once they were in each other's arms, a sloppy make-out session later, they would fall deep asleep.

Poor them; they can't be blamed. They are, after all, humans (though hybrids)!

o.o.o

"Not _this_ again!" Ben moaned from within his suit as he leaned back into his seat nervously.

"Still scared of passing through the Wormhole Cross, eh?" Jack grinned from his pilot seat.

Ben frowned in reply, "Yeah, I am! It feels queasy and don't blame me if I barf on your precious ship!"

"You better NOT do that!" Jack piped back with a laugh.

The ship shot through the eerie but colourful insides of the bridge, the females and Ben experiencing the same uneasy queasy feeling that they chose to ignore for ten minutes, till the ship shot off the Wormhole Cross like a cork off a bottle.

o.o.o

Now that they were out of the Wormhole Cross and transported back to their Milkyway Galaxy, it meant no more wearing suits. Which in turn meant...

Kevin seized Ben into the corner of the living room, immediately sealing his lips with Ben's. They would kiss ferverantly, unable to get enough of each other, grabbing onto each other's abdomens as their tongues fought within the warm wet caves of their mouths.

Max could cast a glance at them and turn back to polishing his laser revolvers. "Ah. Young love," he would shake his head, remembering his times with Verdona.

Jack and Paulo would steal glances at the kissing couple; at times blushing when the two of them caught _each other_ watching Ben and Kevin.

Gwen and Julie would not mind at all. Their excuse when asked by the curious DBS, was, "We're kinda used to it; you know, it sorta grew on us to watch them make out twentyfour-seven!"

One cannot blame the two lovebirds, their love was fierce to a point that would have been insanity during their hiatus, but they managed to keep sane, and that itself was a great achievement.

o.o.o

Ben and Kevin were left alone in the Living Hall of the ship, for some quality couple-time. Sitting comfy on sofa, Kevin was leaning back against the armrest, with his legs on the length of the couch. And Ben lay atop him, cuddling him around the tummy, his head on Kevin's chest. At the moment they had taken a pause out of the make out sessions.

But then, Kevin was not done lusting.

"Mmm Kevin..." Ben protested playfully and weakly, as his face was pulled up again and his lips were assaulted tender. After a moment or two, Ben pulled back, making Kevin cuddle him closer whispering, "What...tired of me already?"

"Dont ever say that!" Ben mewled cuddling back, "It's just that we've been going at it for hours that my jaw hurts!"

Kevin pulled back his face to grin and shrug, "Well, you know what they say; 'love hurts'!"

Ben raised an eyebrow, "I don't think that's what they mea- mmmph!" he was cut off by yet another smooch, into which he dissolved like cotton candy in a kid's mouth.

"Ok, you're right, we need a small time-out," Kevin nodded, massaging his lower jaw joints with his free hand.

Soft silence now enveloped them like a blanket. It was so sweet, this quiet time together; Jack was cleaning out the Oxygen Room; Paulo was modifying his odd little inventions from the workshop; Max was snoring away in his bedroom in a nap; the girls, well, they never ran out of what to chit-chat about, so they were in their bedroom as well.

Which left Ben and Kevin to themselves in the Living Hall.

"So, Ben; this is 'happily ever after' for us, right?" Kevin mused, gently stroking Ben's back as he spoke. Ben hummed in agreement. Kevin blinked and spoke again, "You know, I've been thinking..." and his voice trailed off.

Ben shifted his head from the muscular chest and looked up, "About what?"

"Jack and Paulo. I mean, I want a 'happily ever after' for them too."

Ben smiled at him, "Yeah, me too."

"Yeah. I mean, if they're not going to fess up, _we're_ going to have to do something about it!"

Ben sat up properly on the couch, Kevin following. "Kevin, maybe we should give them their time?" Ben suggested.

"Yeah, I've given them enough time alright! I mean, I tried traps and parties to make them end up together and they're a bunch of idiots completely oblivious to it! And I did all that when _I_ was a DBS! 'Cause I know how it was to love someone in secret, and to sorta _haul_ that unrequited love around was painful. But Jack and Paulo don't have to suffer that; they love each other!_ I_ know it! Problem is that _they_ don't know it!"

Ben scratched his chin, "Are you sure Jack _loves_ Paulo? And not just as a small attraction or something? Just to make sure?"

Kevin blinked oddly at Ben, "Yea,h I have proof of that..."

A moment of silence passed between them.

"Are you going to tell me or do I have to squeeze it outta you?" Ben smiled comically.

Kevin rolled his eyes and sighed with a smile, "Yeah, uh, well, uh, there's something I didn't tell you. Paulo was a Vulphorous before." Kevin expected Ben to gasp in surprise, or maybe even freak out. But that was not the reaction he got from the little brunette.

"I know," Ben smiled smugly.

Kevin looked pretty stupid for a second there. "Wait, _what_?! You _do_?!"

"Yup," Ben nodded, "He told me. Kinda made me swear that I won't tell you that I know. I guess he wanted for you to tell me than himself."

"Oh", Kevin hummed and then added, "So, he might have told you how Jack put himself as bait and helped him cure himself?"

"_Bait?!"_ Ben exclaimed, "No, Paulo said that Jack tripped and it was easy target for Paulo and he bit him?"

Kevin shook his head sagely, "Yeah well, that's what Jack told _everyone including Paulo_, BUT _me_. Actually, he sacrificed himself as bait; he purposefully tripped himself and let Paulo have at him, so that the doctor who was present there could drug him and get him his process done!"

Ben stared at him in awe, "Like... like you did for me?"

"Yes! Even Paulo didn't know of this! Jack loved him strong enough to do as serious a thing as that, Ben! And he was far too transparent to me, and I easily got the truth out of him that same day; he was very close to me, you know. But he made me swear I wont spill it to Paulo and I didn't; until a few hours ago."

"Huh?"

"Before I threw myself at you, Jack guessed I was gonna do the same as he did years ago. And he had to tell Paulo the truth. Jack tried to stop me from making myslef bait, but I wasn't ready to back off."

Ben smiled sweetly at him, stroking his cheek, "That's my brave man!" and Kevin kissed his hand in reply, "So I am."

"And how did Paulo react when he learnt that Jack sacrificed himself for him?" Ben asked.

"They did what stupid people usually do; shrug it off! Urgh, they just discussed it and left it there! I mean seriously, get a life!" Kevin threw his hands up in despair. Ben laughed at Kevin, patting him on the shoulder, "Ok, ok; we have proof that Jack loves Paulo. Now we need proof that Paulo loves Jack, right?"

"Yeah," Kevin shrugged, "But I guess we have to assume it?"

"Not necessarily," Ben grinned.

Kevin blinked at him questioningly, "Whatd'ya mean?"

"I have my own end of secret confessions from Paulo, as well," Ben smiled triumphantly. Kevin's face literally lit up in excitement, "What?! Really? And what's that?!"

"You must have been too bent on noticing Jack that you may have not noticed _Paulo chasing Jack_ when he was a Vulphorous! Yeah! Paulo told me that when he went through his Full Transformation, he was invariably and undeniably attracted to attack Jack alone! But then, with everyone running helter-skelter that no one would realise that _Jack_ was being pursued! And that would mean?..." Ben stopped to make sure Kevin got the message.

Which he definitely did.

"That would mean that Jack was Paulo's sexual attraction! YES! This is a two-way love connection, Ben! It's just that the two doors are closed; WE have to open it for them!"

"Yes, and we will. Let's strategize, Kevin! How do we approach them?" Ben planned. He felt like he and Kevin were matchmakers-in-business; however, this was not _exactly_ the case, was it?

"Well..." Kevin tapped his chin seriously, "I think setting up situations and play dates and stuff are just gonna slid off them like water off a duck's back! We just gonna have to say it to their faces to fess up!"

"Yeah, I see..." Ben nodded understandingly, "So, how about we individually go to each of them? I mean, I'm more connected to Paulo, so I'll talk to him to fess up; you are more close to Jack, so you talk to him?"

"Good, that'll work! And then we make 'em meet up in the same room and hopefully they'll grow a spine to finally speak they hearts out! We can't expect a negative outcome at all, 'cause _WE_ know that they definitely love each other, right?!"

"Yeah!" Ben grinned widely, "I really want them to hook!"

"Yearrh!" Kevin punched his right fist into his left palm in determination, "Lets do this! We gonna set up the idiots before we reach Earth!"

Ben grinned wider still; Kevin was rarely ever as excited as this about any but very few people, and it made him happy to know Kevin was restless for his close friends. And that look of sheer confidence on Kevin's face was turning poor Ben on!

o.o.o

Jack was busy wiping the wind-shields of a sleek little mini jet that sat in one of the three garages that the Alex-Hepha had. As he grinned happily at the glossy finish he had put on the glass surface, he heard someone walk into the garage and close the door behind them. Jack turned around and saw Kevin walk in with his hands in his pockets.

Smirking at the blonde reflection of himself on the glass which he idly continued to polish, Jack spoke, "Wassup, Kev?"

Kevin walked up to him till he too could see his reflection on the greyish black glass. Smiling, Kevin spoke, "Yeah, I came up to talk about something important, Jack."

"Something important? Something _so_ important that it _actually _got you off your boy friend's mouth?!" Jack joked. But seeing on the glass that Kevin's face was not displaying any sort of happy annoyance at his joke, the blonde muttered, "Oh my gosh, you're wearing the serious-face!"

Kevin rolled his eyes, catching his friend's arm and turning him so that they faced each other at comfortable proximity. "You gotta hear me out, Jack. It really is important."

"Ok," Jack flung the cloth aside and leaned against the body of the jet, "Shoot."

"Ok, I'm gonna come right to the point. You love Paulo."

Jack's face lost its playful ambience. "W-what?! W-who told you _that_?!"

"Quit playing dumb! I've had enough of this shit! Watching you both live together, keeping all that love bottled up insidda you, its not healthy!"

Jack stared, at the angry brown eyes, in dismay that surpassed his shock, "Y-you really think I love him?"

"I don't _think_ you love him; I KNOW it; I can SEE it too, the way you look at him, joke at him, and take care of him when we're in trouble! And when Paulo became a Vulphorous, and you did your lil' bait act that inspired me? It's all is crystal clear, Jack. You can't deny it to me. You know you can't."

Jack hung his head a little, biting his lip, as a slow flush of red swam across his cheeks, "Well, you're right, I can't deny it to you, buddy." He looked up, his blue eyes reflecting the passion he had for his brunette teammate, the look of helpless love almost throwing Kevin off balance, but the raven recovered in a second or two, for he was now absolutely sure that he could persuade Jack into confessing.

"But Kevin; I dunno what to do, man! I mean, I really love that guy, so fucking bad! And its only grown over the years; it's grown stronger; I dunno what to do!"

"So, you have to do the obvious! You gotta tell him!"

Jack's eyes went ridiculously wide, "WHAT?! You mean _fess up_ to Paulo?! You must be insane, Kevin!"

"No I am not!" Kevin snapped with a frown, "Get this through that thick skull of yours. The sooner you tell him, the better for you and him!"

"But, but..." Jack gaped in panic, "If I tell him, what if he gets disgusted at me?! Kevin, we've been friends for so long and if I suddenly told him that I loved him, what if it throws him off his rocker?! What if it destroys the friendship we have?! I mean, I may not be able to kiss him and... do things... to him; but atleast I have his presence with me! What if I lose that too?!"

Kevin sighed, placing a warm hand on the blonde's shoulder, "Your life should not be governed by if's and but's, Jack! In fact, the only _butt_ you need to have in your life is Paulo's!"

Jack looked stupidly at him. His cheeks just got redder imagining something.

"Jack, listen, you're worrying for no reason! Paulo actually likes you back! - "

"How would YOU know?!" Jack interjected.

"Well, I really think he does! Don't you think so?"

Jack stared off into the ceiling, "Well, I guess he kinda likes me, that's why he's stuck with me for so long and he really knows to handle me; but..." he looked back into the caramel eyes, "How can you be sure that he might LOVE me? I mean, isn't it better the way it is?"

"No Jack! It's NOT better the way it is!" Kevin's patience was running out. He caught both of Jack's upper arms with his hands and spoke his sharp strong words, "Look, you wouldn't know if he likes you or not, unless you tell him what you feel! Look at _me_, Jack! How do you think Ben and I got together? When I got back to Earth and met Ben after five years, I thought I wouldn't even stand a _fricking_ chance to get on his loving side, or to have his love, 'cause we were _enemies_, Jack! _Enemies_! And, that too, we fessed up by accident and look where it's led us! We're happy, Jack! Its heaven! You don't know how amazing it is, to just sit there on a sofa with the person, whom you would die for, sleeping against your chest! There no other feeling like it, Jack! You and Paulo have been such close buddies, don't you think there a 90% chance that he will reciprocate your love?!"

Jack gazed into his friend's eyes; every word coming out of Kevin's mouth was absorbed slowly into his head. He fell into a calm daze of a silence. Kevin released his friend from his grip and spoke again, "Don't think about that remaining 10% chance; you know Paulo better than anyone; and do you think he would be cruel enough to leave you and break off your friendship 'cause you told him that you love him? The worse that could happen is that his loving kind nature will forgive you and continue being your friend!"

Jack looked lost, "He could... do you think he could really love me?"

Kevin stared back. His tongue itched to spit out the proof that Paulo wanted to eat Jack in his Vulphorous state, but Kevin had discussed with Ben that it was best if the two DBS teens discovered their love for each other by themselves. It was just pushing them to start that was Kevin's and Ben's job.

"I'll bet a million bucks that he will, Jack; you just gotta find out for yourself."

Jack looked grim as he turned to look at his reflection on the black frosted glass.

o.o.o

Paulo wore a mask to shield his face as he busily and delicately welded a few pieces of titanium together for one of his tiny nifty inventions, or modifications of previous gadgets. The pretty sparks that flew about gave him a sort of childish fascination as he stepped back, pulling the solid mask back from his face and inspected his gadget. He heard a couple of footsteps and he turned to see Ben walk in timidly, asking, "Hey, you busy? Can we talk?"

Paulo looked over his shoulder, smiling, "Oh, hey, Ben! S'ok, come in!"

Paulo set down the welder and the solder iron. "So, now that you're no longer a Vulphorous, what do you want to talk about?"

Ben watched Paulo's face as the older teen set the gadget pieces in a sorted format with other tiny trinkets and spare parts on the table, "Paulo, I want to talk about you...and Jack."

Paulo paused, blinking. He turned and looked at Ben, his brown eyes smiling through the glasses, "What about me and Jackie?"

Ben smiled back, "Look, I know you love him; you told me that, right?"

"I ... yeah... but I ..." he looked down at his gloved hands. "Yes, I love him; with all my heart and soul. I just want him so bad! But I dunno what to do!"

"So you gotta tell him the truth! Tell him you love him!"

Paulo's face transitioned from calm doubt to despaired shock, "WHAT?! I can't do that, Ben! He... he's straight!"

"Really?" Ben raised an eyebrow, "How do you know?"

"I ... he had girlfriends before... and I have watched them kiss, make out... ok, it kinda hurt to watch; but I couldn't help imagine myself in the place of whichever girl he was making out with... it was agony; but one which I learnt to live with over the years.

"Do you really think you can go on with that kind of agony, forever?" Ben's question was soft and gentle, and his green eyes watched Paulo fidget in frustrated confusion.

"I ... maybe not; maybe I might have to live with it, there's no other choice - "

"Paulo, there _is_ a choice! You can tell him the truth! Right out!"

"But, Ben! He's my best friend! We have watched each other's backs for years, we're ... I mean, if I tell him that I love him, what if he hates it?! What if he is grossed out and wants me outta his sight?! He's already teased me that I behave gay, and I might just prove it if I fessed up!"

"And yet, here he still is! Has he left you because you 'behave' gay?!"

"No, but, what if my confession destroys the sanctity of friendship we have? At least now, I can gaze at him from the shadows and watch him sleep from our bedroom! But if I scare him off of me, I won't ever get to see him again!" Paulo's eyes were glittering in confusion. Ben placed a caring hand over Paulo's, smiling gently, "You won't scare him off, Paulo! He might just love you back! Trust me! If two enemies like me and Kevin could end up together, and that too, so happily; then why not you two who have been friends for so long! Give it a try, Paulo! You know, it's really hard to see the two of you so ignorant of each other's feelings!"

"Jack has feelings for me?! You really think so?!" Paulo's eyes lit up in hope, which Ben couldn't help smile happily at.

"He seems to! And even in the very small possibility that he does not actually like you like that; he will not be as rude as to leave you, do you think he's that insensitive?""

"You're right there, Ben ... Jackie can't be insensitive; actually, he's really caring and kind, he just hides it behind a tough display..." Paulo looked hopeful, as he gazed at the far end of the room, deep in thoughts.

"Do you really think I have a shot at this, Ben?"

"Yes, I believe in it! You can do this, Paulo!"

Paulo looked determined at his hands, his heart ringing in a steady rate of courage.

- End of Chapter -

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_**there! wht comes next?**_

_**pls review!**_


	24. Spill it, mister!

_**This chapter is special dedication for PrincessBetty01 and Stuffedtoycuddler!**_

_**More thanks going out to all the rest of you amazing reviewers for all the luvly 32 reviews!**_

_**Warning : this story obviously contains yaoi. Pls get over it! :D**_

_**Disclaimer : I do not own any of Ben ten alien force. I think it was pretty clear yeah...**_

* * *

_**ITS A WILD LIFE**_

**_Chapter twenty four : Spill it, mister!_**

Jack stood confusedly in the tiny store room 234. It was so small; about the size of a large elevator. The source of light in the room was situated on the ceiling, a tube-light bent to form a rectangle, giving ample amount of light. The whole room was stuffed with boxes and cartons, with old files and paper bunches.

(Yes, with all the alien technology, why would two gizmo-masters need paper? Well, they were human and humans have an undeniable attachment to paper no matter how developed the gadgets they posses!)

Dusty to the point that the white cardboard box to his right was now a sad grey, the room was dead silent except for Jack's breathing and drumming chest. He refrained from sighing lest he de-settled the dust and created an artificial particle-storm.

Biting his lip, he leaned his tight manly rear against the rim of the table loaded to the edges with boxes, files and stapled papers. All around the mounds and piles almost reached the low ceiling, and the old rusty cupboard in the corner was almost bursting with more paper. There was room on the floor to walk about, but it was still cluttered.

Looking around, Jack commented, "Note to self: clean closet 234; or _never_ enter here again!"

He folded his semi-muscular hands and waited. After his discussion with Kevin, he had agreed to spill out to the one true love of his life; and Kevin had promised to send Paulo, with Ben's help, to this same storeroom. Although too dusty for a romantic confession, this room was small and private and personal; and for once they should just try something new than the conventional candle-lit-dinner-and-rose-vase!

Tapping his foot in impatience, he wished furiously that Paulo would come in sooner; his fiery courage that Kevin had kindled, was slowing seeping away by every passing minute and he feared that by the time Paulo walks in; he might reduce to a shy puppy and squeak away to the bathroom!

Thankfully, he did not have to wait that long; fifteen minutes after he had arrived in this dusty room, a soft sound emanated as the person outside turned the knob of the door and walked in. It was Paulo, and he held a small carton of papers too. Jack straightened up.

The moment their eyes met, Jack was astounded. Paulo had never looked so pretty, it was like he was seeing him for the first time. Of course, Paulo was still the same. But Jack now could see him from another angle, another perspective; that is, the perspective of a lover. Paulo seemed so much feminine, his eyes were sparkly brown, his skin was suddenly so fair and glowing, his hair sat in soft waves against his head, and the irregular bangs on the either sides of his face framed him cutely. He seemed so slender and hourglass-like, and that blush on his cheek made Jack's knees a little weak.

To Paulo, Jack was suddenly so handsome; his blonde hair short yet so beautiful he could almost feel its softness in his fingers from far, he had always fantasised about doing that. His blue eyes were bluer than Paulo knew them to be, his muscular build tightly-hugged by the uniform awed him, his thin lips spread gentle in a shy smile, even in the dusty surroundings, he looked like a prince to Paulo who nearly dropped the box he held in both hands.

Time stood still as they gazed at each other, their hearts rocketing into their throats.

"Uh,...hi!" Jack stammered, being first to break the thick silence. Paulo replied with a nod and a smile, "Hey."

"Watssinda box?" Jack mumbled again, looking pointedly at the carton held by the brunette.

Paulo answered, "Uh, I was cleaning out some stuff, and I had to dump them here so..." not wanting to tell Jack that the box was merely an excellent excuse suggested by Ben for Paulo to come into this room.

"Cool, I'll uh, help you find a spot to place 'em!" Jack offered, trying to ease his tight nervousness.

"Thanks, Jackie..." Paulo mumbled, with a shy smile as he walked up to the blonde. Jack took the box from him (during which, their fingers brushed and they almost squealed the hell out of each other, but both bit down on their tongues to prevent that sort of nonsense, because each of them knew that their respective gurus, Kevin and Ben, would smack them to Jupiter if they did not come to a judgement, today and now!) and he set the box on the little space he created on the table by shoving some _other_ boxes aside.

Coughing gently at the dust that the movement, they helped each other move a few boxes to the floor and place the one Paulo brought. Then, they decided to sort the place, and keep the haphazardly kempt boxes in a neat and proper order.

"So..." Jack attempted, as he tugged at a box that seemed wedged between two larger ones, "You uh... free today?"

Paulo nearly died trying to hold in a laugh, "What?!"

Jack chuckled, "C'mon, man, now you're just making fun of me!" and then he sighed, "I mean, like, you know, maybe we should talk out some stuff? In private?"

Paulo paused. His heart tore around in his ribs like a frightened bird in a bone cage.

"Um...s-sure..." he straightened up, having cleared a good place. He looked proudly at the stack of boxes neatly placed like building blocks. He tried to be impressed at the work as a distraction from the blue eyes studying him intently. Paulo could _feel _the burning gaze on him, it was unnerving but hopeful.

"Paulo... uh..." Jack started, but his voice just fell into nothing. Paulo turned, and looked at him blankly, hoping that whatever Jack was going to say would end soon so that he himself can confess to him.

It seems that neither of the two idiots guessed that they were struggling with the same issue.

"Jackie, what is it?"

"Uh..." he looked with his wide blue eyes, blinking indecisively, "I uh..." Poor Jack had never been so tongue-tied his whole life! He could blabber and blabber nonstop when it was an interesting subject; he could shoot swears after swears when he was angry; he could spill out sneers after sneers when he was provoked; but for the life of him, he could not stop stuttering as he looked at the sweet Paulo gazing expectedly at him. It was paralysing to the blonde.

Paulo looked on, a little innocent flicker of light danced in his brown eyes behind the red-rimmed glasses.

Jack felt his energies draining_. I_ _can't do this... I can't..he's so cute I'm dying out here.. its like he's paralysing me all over... I can't do this... _

And then Kevin's voice floated into his mind.

_Jack! Its heaven!...There's no other feeling like it, Jack! You and Paulo have been such close buddies, don't you think there a 90% chance that he will reciprocate your love?...The worse that could happen is that his loving kind nature will forgive you and continue being your friend!_

Jack's face tightened in sudden determination. He _wanted_ Paulo. And this was his chance to let himself be _revealed!_

"Paulo!" he spoke with a snap, his blue eyes fixated strongly on the brunette. Paulo jumped a little surprised at the rise in Jack's voice. The blonde stepped forward, standing arrow-straight, his face austerely strong, as he spoke, "Paulo, I love you! And I'd do anything to keep you happy and safe! And, if you don't like me back like that, it's alright! I'm ready to continue being your best friend and great buddy!"

Paulo stepped back in great shock; he had not even in the slightest expected the blonde to say the three magic words at all, at least, with his named added to it. A swift flush of crimson glowed over his cheeks as he gazed stupefied at the blonde who stood stiff in blank seriousness, blushing too. Not sure what to expect or what to actually do next, Jack remained in his frozen and frowning form. His fists clenched tighter at his either sides, trying to squeeze the embarrassment away, but not working though.

"J-Jackie..."

"Its ok, Paulo!" Jack spoke through jaws clenched in embarrassment and defeat, "If you don't love me back its -"

"But, Jackie... I... I love you too!" Paulo whispered, both his gloved hands held his own burning blushing cheeks.

Blue eyes widened slowly as the words from Paulo sunk into Jack's head, heart and soul; like water into a sponge. His tight serious face fell slowly, to a look of utter surprise.

"You do?!" he mumbled stupidly like a starved gorilla suddenly bombarded with a torrent of yellow bananas.

Paulo smiled, blushing further and further till his cheeks were a mix of magenta and crimson. He lowered his hands from his face and wrung them together shyly, "Well, uh, I've... i was coming out to say the same thing..." he bit his lip, looking away, "I was really scared to tell you 'cause I thought you might react wrongly to it and abandon me..."

"_Abandon_ you...?!" Jack gasped, now realising how stupid he himself must have sounded to Kevin when he said the same argument as Paulo.

"Well, you... I thought you were straight!" Paulo spoke in defence and looked back at him, "You had girlfriends!"

The look on Jack's face was too humorous. Then he spoke slowly, "But.. do you even know _why_ I had girlfriends?! Have you noticed _ALL_ of them were brunettes?! Or that _ALL _of them had short hair?! Like yours?"

Paulo blinked, pouting in awe.

"Paulo, I loved you, I _wanted_ YOU so bad, but like you, I kept fearing that you might not...respond positively. So I had to make do with those girls; I know it's bad of me to use them like that, but I tried to stop thinking of you in the 'romantic way' by trying to have other relationships, but they never worked out. 'Cause I only thought of you! 'Cause I could only love you!"

Paulo looked baffled, and warm around the neck and in the ears.

"Oh... so you, s-so you still liked me all the while?!" there was a glimmer of a faint smile on Paulo's full lips.

"No."

Paulo's face fell, paling. His heart almost stopped in dreaded pain. Yuck, he hated this sudden feeling.

Jack stepped towards him, and the next thing he knew, Jack had Paulo's slim hand in his.

"Correction; I still LOVED you all the while. Every single day since I-dunno-when."

Paulo's face lit up again, his eyes shining. The sudden fall of heart was overwhelming, but not as much as the dense look in the blue eyes now close to his. The brunette's heart that had almost stopped was now racing in a marathon against Jack's. For a moment, Paulo could hear nothing but his own drumming organ howling in a monotonous drone from within his chest. All he did was gaze up at the taller teen, who gently pressed his clasped hand closer to his own self.

"Hey, I said 'love' and 'you' a number of times in the last minute! You haven't said much... makes me wonder, do you really love me? Or am I only dreaming all this happening?"

Paulo frowned like a thunder-cloud. His little feminine face looked deadly for a moment as shadows covered his eyes, "_You're doubting me...?_" he hissed.

"Oh, feisty! Even in _this_ matter!" Jack looked awed, feeling a little intimidated even. "Me likey!"

Paulo was human. He could NOT stay mad at a face like that. In moments, he chuckled at Jack's stupid comment, his head of coffee hair falling on the blonde's shoulder as he chuckled further, and this made the manly Jack blush too. Jack curled his free arm carefully around the slimmer waist, counting each second, enjoying that this was reality, and not one of his stupid wet dreams.

Paulo felt himself being drawn closer to the tougher body, and his heart plummeted to his mouth. He was going numb like ice and blazing like fire, all at the same time; it made him want to throw up in nervous tension about whether he was doing it right. All he decided to do was stay still, because obviously, Jack was better at being a romantic that he was!

"Uh, so... u didn't answer me?" Jack teased, and he buried his nose into Paulo's hair.

"Answer what?" Paulo spoke gently, trying to think straight with someone actually nuzzling into his neck. With that 'someone' being Jack Vortacon of all people.

"Answer me whether I am only dreaming of all this or not."

Paulo pulled back, drawing his hand away from Jack's grasp, while looking hurt, "And YOU answer me whether you are doubting me or not!"

Jack scratched the back of his neck, sighing, "Sheesh! Do you _have_ to take everything so seriously?..." and then he sighed again, looking calmly at his partner, "I... don't doubt you. But I could be wrong. I have had VERY realistic dreams, mind you. I always ended up waking from those amazing moments, just to realise that you are not mine."

Paulo frowned further. "You want proof? That I love you?"

Jack shrugged, "Yeah, sorta." He would like it if he heard the three magical words from Paulo again, one more time, again, and maybe again. It would help him convince his startled soul that it was all real, true and happening. He himself was surprised how calm he felt after confessing to Paulo; he could breathe much better now. Kevin was damn right. It felt great, especially that look Paulo gave him when he agreed to the feeling... ah, bliss!

Jack looked up, lifting his blue eyes from the floor where he had been staring when he drifted into his thoughts. He saw a determined Paulo, with his small fists balled at his either sides, and by the looks of it, his jaws were clenching and his chest was straining to pant.

Faster than Jack could squeak 'Alex-Hepha', Paulo swiftly ran into him, grasping his arms around the stronger neck and crashing his lips to the former's pair.

Jack gave out a moan of surprise as he was backed and his butt crashed to the edge of the table. But the next moment, his brain dissolved.

Jack's arms came to life, grasping Paulo around the abdomen tightly, leaning more into the kiss as was possible. Pure lust tore through him, and in seconds, the brush of a kiss turned into a full French make-out. Paulo's feet rose as he stood on tiptoes to deepen the kiss further, while Jack slipped his hand up the small of the spine and dug his fingers into the long silken brunette hair. Finally he had done it; feeling Paulo's deliciously-chocolate coloured hair in his fingers as he had always dreamt of.

It was a few minutes later that Paulo pulled back when his lungs could no longer take it. Panting against the blonde's shoulder, he whispered, "Proof enough, big guy?"

Jack was far too invigorated to give a proper answer but he managed to choke relieved, "God, YES!" and with his senses aroused and pricked up in lust, he grabbed Paulo by the face and clasped his breathing mouth with his own. Paulo could all but moan and groan as they together turned around and Jack had Paulo backed against the wall. Paulo's slim fingers gripped the sides of Jack's uniform helplessly when the tides of excitement literally swept him off balance.

Well, Jack was a good kisser. Just how Paulo had imagined him to be.

Paulo's eyes (which had been closed as he savoured his tongue-to-tongue battle with the blonde) opened a slit when he felt the mouth leave his. Ragged breath of the blonde blew over the side of his face as Jack struggled to tame his heightened breathing, emotions, and well, hormones. Paulo moaned again when Jack decided to treat the slender neck meanwhile.

Red flushed over Paulo's cheeks as Jack nipped on the fair skin of his throat, as the short blonde hair tickled his cheek. "J-Jackie..." he moaned again, and it made the said teenager's pulse race in a spike. The day-to-day manner his name was altered usually made him smile. _This_ way of speaking his name meant that the speaker was too horny... it was too much to bear...

Subtle fingers reached out to Paulo's neck and pulled down the jacket zipper of his uniform only enough to expose a vertical slit of collarbone and chest. Paulo's sense jumped out the window when Jack buried his face into the creamy fair skin. When Paulo showed signs of fidgeting, Jack gripped both his wrists and pressed them restraining to the wall on either sides of the brunette head.

Jack's tongue slipped out from his mouth, and traversed across the collarbone, savouring the feel on his tongue against the skin and the feel of the moans in his ears fed by Paulo's helpless venting.

A gasp ensued as Jack's thigh pressed slow but firm into the middle of Paulo's legs...

"PAULO! PAULO! YOUR INFRA-RED MICROWAVE OVEN JUST EXPLODED!" came a distant shout of Max.

Jack's face shot up off Paulo's neck in surprise, and the two flushed faces stared at the door, fearing that the old man might barge in. But thankfully, it seems that Grandpa Max had no idea that the DBS teens were intimately occupied in the dingy small storeroom.

Paulo whimpered, with his eyes wide, "Oh no,...my microwave oven!"

Paulo was good at replicating devices, especially modern every-day devices, which was the reason why most of the normal gadgets in this ship were Paulo's improvements or replications. The infra-red microwave, a collaboration of using both forms of electromagnetic waves to cook and do other stuff, was one of his new projects. And Paulo was very sincere and caring of his work.

He jumped away from Jack and almost ran to the door when he froze, and then turned around looking apologetically to the blonde, "Uh...sorry. I guess my oven can wait..." and he snuggled doubtfully into the blonde's chest. Jack sighed, stroking the smaller spine with one hand and running his free hand through his sweating golden hair, "I know how dedicated you are to your pet projects, Paulo..." pulling the slender brunette's face up, he gazed with his blue eyes, "But... I don't want to leave you yet..."

Jack paused a moment, and the two could hear distant beeping as Max was probably trying to fix the machine, and in turn ruining it further. Jack sensed the restlessness in the smaller body pressed against him.

Paulo looked at the door and then to Jack, his brown eyes were a little beseeching.

"But you know what? Go for it", Jack smiled, twitching his head to the door, "At the moment, your lil' invention needs you more than I do!"

Paulo's face lit up in gratitude and he squeaked, gripping the uniform at Jack's stomach, "Oh thank you!" Pecking at the thin lips in another gesture of thanks, Paulo zoomed out of the room in a flash, tearing open the door and screaming like a distressed female, "Max! That was just a prototype! You shouldn't have used it!"

A distant faint voice could be heard answering apologetically from somewhere, "I'm sorry but I thought it was a regular one...if it makes you feel any better, you're replications are damn deceiving!"

Jack stared at the open door, smiling and shaking his head at the swiftness of the brunette who had ran out as fast as light. Sighing, he leaned against the wall, basking in the glow of the aftermath of the most amazing make-out session he ever had in his life. Maybe it was not just because Paulo's mouth was just so perfect, but also because it was not just Jack who kissed him, it was also his soul, and heart, all the emotions and feelings venting out, possibly made it as amazing as it was."

"Oh maaaan, I think I'm melting into a slushie..." he groaned, feeling hot all over. He let himself sit at the edge of the table, pondering happily over the successful confession. Beaming, he ran his hand across his forhead, swiping off the sweat again.

He was unaware that two faces had been peering at the two DBS all this while since Paulo had walked into the room with the carton box full of paper.

It was the two gurus themselves; Kevin and Ben, peeping thorough the door that they opened a smidge. They had watched the whole confession, and when the two had kissed, Ben gripped Kevin's hand excitedly, nearly squealing out in happiness, but Kevin was sharp enough the slap his large palm onto Ben's mouth and prevent any source of interruption to his hard work. Ben moaned into the palm in relief.

What would he do without Kevin?

And when Max had shouted, the two teens had jumped aside from the door and hoped Paulo would not notice the two pressed against the wall beside the door, an obvious sign of eavesdropping and peeping. And thankfully, Paulo was too bothered about the oven to notice the raven and brunette.

And now, they watched Jack, sighing to himself like a happy kiddo.

"That went awesomer than I thought!" Kevin whispered with a victorious grin. Ben nodded happily, "Aw! I feel so happy for Paulo and Jack!" he turned to Kevin, blushing, "We did it! We did a hero thing! We saved two guys' love, withOUT the Omnitrix or any powers!"

Kevin nodded, and pressed his lips to Ben's. "We're a great team. Let's call ourselves the Ultra Cupids!" and then Kevin laughed at his own joke, snorting into Ben's shoulder. When he heard no laughter from Ben's side, he raised his head to see that the green eyes were shining in inspiration.

"That's so cool! The Ultra Cupids!"

"Oh, fuck," Kevin groaned, running his fingers through his hair, "Sometimes I think you're more gay than I imagine!"

Kevin stared at Ben's disco-dust eyes glimmering into oblivion. The brunette was possibly already imagining their hero-costumes!

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_Me: Alrite Ben, that was a joke! I'm NOT having Kevin in my story wearing spandex and screaming Ultra Cupids! (shaking fist at dreaming brunette)_**

**_Kevin : (blowing at strand of hair on forehead) yo, author, remind me to never joke around Ben again._**

**_Me : (thumbs up)_**

**_Oh and srry this chapter took so long to come up :P im really lazy waaah!_**


	25. Straightening crinkles

**_This chapters going out to Stuffedtoycuddler who's 'ultra cupids' drawing im kinda curious about :P_**

**_Bear with me I easily get bored :P ... anyway, heres a new chapter for those who wanna stick arnd! a lil emo and stuff but hey! im a girl for heavens sake! :P_**

**_Warning : this story obviously contains yaoi. Pls get over it! :D_**

**_Disclaimer : I do not own any of Ben ten alien force. Although I DO own Jack and Paulo...and doctor Sands and doctor Stacy and ... all the tetraxians, especially that perverted one. (wink)_**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

_**Chapter twenty five : Straightening crinkles**_

"So... we set things straight for them lovebirds, didn't we?" Kevin grinned, "So, how about a reward?"

Ben puckered his lips in reply, "Have at it!"

Ben and Kevin were now in the living room of the Alex-Hepha; and currently rewarding each other with a hot make-out session. In a few minutes, they were interrupted by a brunette who walked in holding a large contraption with wires and cables hanging off it like tentacles.

"Oh!" Paulo gasped at the interupted kissers, and then he smiled apologetically whilst blushing, "Oops, sorry, just passing by, don't mind me!" and he proceeded to speed-walk across the room; his goal was a door that led to another of his workshops, but he froze when Kevin's voice swam into the air after him, "So, how was it?"

Paulo blinked with saucer-sized eyes, and slowly twirled on the balls of his feet, still clutching adorably to the large contraption like a kid holds a puppy, or an over-sized dog. Or an animal with tentacles, for that matter.

"How w-was...what?" he stammered, feigning innocence. It was in vain. Kevin knew that Paulo knew that he was talking about his first kiss!

The Xenomorph and Osmosian grinned ear-to-ear without a reply. They only bestowed the brunette with their mischievous stare.

"You two look like the Cheshire Cat! What's up? I mean, really?"

Ben squeaked, "Don't play dumb, Paulo; especially not with _us_!"

Paulo looked down at the bundle of metallic parts and wires in his arms, blushing furiously.

"..."

The next moment, someone else walked into the room. A particular blonde.

"Oh, h-hey guys," greeted Jack, his face went a little red around the cheeks when he spotted Paulo who was looking cute and flustered for some reason. Blue eyes fell on the Cheshire Cats.

"Woah...what's with those looks, yo?" Jack asked in confusion.

Paulo cleared his throat, and spoke, voice a little wavering, "Yeah, um, I'm gonna set this prototype in my workshop, ok?" and before anyone could stop him, he speed-walked right out of the room. Jack only caught a glance of the small butt, but he was happy with that. He shrugged absentminded, his hands in his pockets.

Now that one prey had fled, Ben and Kevin turned to the one standing. Grinning in the same intensity, they simultaneously asked the same question, "So, how was it?"

Jack gazed at them in a sort of stupefied horror. "I know its freaky, but you guys remind of Chucky dolls. I'm outta here!"

Ben and Kevin watched the blonde walk out the room the way he came.

"They are _so_ _cute_! Confused and shy newbies to love! I adore them!" Ben squirmed happily. Kevin smirked in agreement, "Totally. It might take them an hour or two to get over the shock and joy; and then they'll be cool with each other like they had been all these years!"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Trust me; I've lived with them! And I know Jack really well! I bet he'll just pop from the impatience and confront Paulo, and then they'll makeout more, and finally be okay with each other and their lil' romance!" Kevin mused, winding an arm around the slim shoulder, pulling Ben closer.

"Hey, the tan's returning to your skin..." Kevin mumbled, running a few fingers over Ben's neck. The creamy tan of Ben's skin that he had since a kid, had dissolved into pale ivory after the cleansing process of removing the virus. Now some of that colour was returning to him.

"Oh good! I kinda felt like a vampire with the sudden paleness and all!" Ben sighed. Kevin replied with a raised eyebrow, "Really? I wonder whom you'd bite _first..._?"

"Like you _don't_ know," Ben chuckled, drawing the manlier face towards his smaller one, and enveloping Kevin's lower lip between with his own lips.

"Hn," Kevin moaned when Ben tugged at his lower lip and the raven smiled into the liplock, "You're getting fiercer at this..."

In reply, Ben bit into the lower lip, making Kevin wince a little, press forward and grip onto the smaller waist. He was enjoying this, greatly. Ben then french-kissed him more passionately, speaking as he took breaths, "Well, weeks of 'no-touching!' and all ...oh, I could just _eat you up_!"

Ben suddenly paused after his own dirty comment, his lips leaving Kevin's. For a moment, all those sour incidents danced in front of his eyes; all that unfamiliar hunger, all that thirst for red blood oozing from Kevin's wounded shoulder; and the frequent hunt for him, chasing him around the house; the terror that tore through his heart; the pain, the tears, the guilt, the grief...

"Ben?" Kevin whispered, looking down at the smaller face. The green eyes stared distant and dazed in thought. Ben turned his attention to the handsome brown eyes peering concernedly.

Smiling in contentment, Ben whispered, "I love you; you stayed with me all the time, no matter how bad I was or uncontrollable I was. ...Thank you..."

Kevin was surprised to be suddenly pulled into a warm, tight hug. He snuggled his face into the cowlick of the brown hair, "I love you, too, Ben. Wait... is this about the Vulphorous thing? Just forget all that crap, ok? We're together now and that's all that matters!"

He hugged the brunette back, smiling into the soft-smelling hair. His smile lasted for as long as three seconds, until a jolt of shock ran through his body; for he felt something wet on his shoulder.

Pulling back, he cupped the smaller face in his hands, "Really, Ben, you're _crying_ now? You going all emo on me?!"

Ben refused to look into the coffee optics. His own green eyes were glazed with a film of tears, and his cheeks were glowing pink, as was the tip of his nose. Blinking repeatedly, Ben sniffled.

Kevin's lips twitched to a smile; he found the vulnerable look extremely adorable. But he did not like seeing Ben cry. And he hoped nothing pained Ben, he wanted to shower Ben with so much happiness till the brunette couldn't take it.

"Hey..." Kevin spoke softly, his thumb brushing across the trail of wetness running down the cheek, "Did I say something wrong to hurt you?"

Ben sniffled again, "No, I ... I'm just so relieved... and these are tears of joy, you know; I was just overwhelmed", swiping at his eyes with his sleeve, and then he finally plucked the courage to look into Kevin's eyes, "You don't think I'm a wimp or something, do you?"

Kevin smiled, internally sighing that there was nothing wrong here. "Hell no! After _all_ that we've been through, sorry, I mean, _all_ that YOU've been through, no one's got the right to call you a wimp! Except you yourself of course. 'Cause you can be an idiot more often."

"You say the nicest things... wait a minute...hey! Meanie!" Ben chuckled, and pushed at him playfully.

Kevin pulled him into another embrace, cuddling the slighter frame, "Come on, go more emo on me, you're so cute when you're all touchy-feely!"

"Yeah, right! Fat chance!" Ben laughed.

And all was right in the world again.

o.o.o

It was only a matter of a few minutes till the girls came to know (or were informed) of Jack and Paulo too. And weren't they thrilled?!

"Aw! I _knew _it! I _knew_ there was something special between them! My instincts are_ never_ wrong!" Gwen pumped her fist in the air. She always loved it when she was proved right, even without her effort as was the case.

Kevin raised a raven eyebrow, "You look like you won a lottery, Gwen! Calm down. That goes for you too, Julie!"

The girls were jumping up and down happily.

The day Gwen learnt that Kevin was seeing Ben behind her back, she wanted to strangle them both and set them on fire. But as she peeped, and eavesdropped and finally goggled on their romance, she became extremely supportive of homos and found them densely hotter than normal. The day Julie learnt that Ben was seeing Kevin behind her back (same day as Gwen's), she too wanted them dead. But being more forgiving that the female Tennyson, she was quicker in accepting the gays with open arms.

Ever since then, they had been very much happy seeing two guys, any guys, hook up.

Kevin shook his head. "Get over yourself! By the looks of it, I think you girls would eat them alive! You stupid gay fans!"

"I think the more appropriate term is 'yaoi fangirls', Kevin!" Julie corrected him.

"Right yeah; just don't bombard Jack and Paulo with questions on details of their first-ever make out; it would seriously creep them out, and they're just learning to adjust with each other and their exposed feelings!"

Gwen snorted, "What a buzzkill you are, Kevin!" she locked hands with her best friend, Julie, and then added with her green eyes on Kevin, "And no, we won't ask creepy questions or such! We just want to let them know that we approve of them!"

The girls then suddenly hugged Ben, since he was less of a buzzkill than Kevin, "It was so sweet of you two to play cupid and get them together!"

Ben chuckled from within their feminine grasp, "Ow, don't strangle me! And by the way, it was Kevin's idea."

"Really? It was?!" Gwen raised a red eyebrow, turning to the raven who lay stretched out on the couch with his legs hoisted on to the armrest. Kevin nodded loosely and Ben spoke, "It had been Kevin's deepest wishes to get them together. Trouble was that, at that time, he didn't have _me_ to back him up!"

Kevin grinned, "Duh!" and they all laughed openly.

Max's voice came in from one of the rooms, "Would you guys just _quit_ the snorting; I'm trying to have a nap here!"

o.o.o

Jack sighed from within his room. He was feeling abashed to be around Paulo, almost unknowingly steering clear of the brunette in the company of others. Frustrated, he was now in the bedroom he shared with that damn attractive brunette he loved to watch asleep. Sitting on his own bed, he decided to cool off, so he had unzipped his uniform front to his torso and pulled out his hands from the sleeves. He tied the sleeves around his waist. He had a skin-tight navy blue t-shirt inside. He felt better.

But now his hormones were scolding him.

His heart reminded him that his long-drawn wish had finally come true and he was not even using it.

His soul told him that he could never have had a happier day, and now he was not even trying to make it better.

And his mind told him that he was being an A-rated idiot to shy away.

Running his fingers through his blonde hair, he fell back into the bed, legs dangling off the edge, and he groaned, "God, all this romantic stuff is harder than I thought!"

Personally, Jack could be gentleman with ladies, and his woo-ing skills were sharp and successful. Yet, with Paulo, he reduced to pile of mumbling redness; it was so hard to be normal or suave. Why?!

Because Paulo ruled his heart, mind and soul.

It has only been an hour or so since their first kiss and now Paulo won't even look at him. He couldn't blame the brunette, for he was going through the same surge of confused feelings that made each of them with their cheeks going red-alert every time they saw each other.

Jack started when he heard a knock on the door. Sitting up, he called out, "Yeah, come in?" and then he swallowed his tongue when Paulo popped his head in from the door, giving out a smile that obviously seemed like he was trying to be casual but was nervous on the inside.

"Hey. Just dropping a few stuff into my locker..." Paulo spoke softly, holding out the stack of files he held in his hand. Paulo's eyes wandered around the upper torso of the blonde, the tight shirt hugging the strong contours of his muscles.

Jack only gazed with his blue eyes as Paulo walked in to place the files in his neat cabinet. The cabinet stood beside his bed, and he was clearly struggling to hold the slippery files and place them. He was possibly making a fool of himself by trying to pull out some files from the cabinet and then replace them with the bundle he brought; and as a result, he was creating a mess in his arms. Not to mention his nervous self-conscience that reminded him Jack was watching. And the last thing he wanted was Jack to think of him as a clumsy douche.

And what was 'the Jack' doing meantime? Holding his breath and trying to appear calm, _as if_ the sight of Paulo's slim physique, especially his rear, was NOT driving his heart to a marathon. Blood was pooling into places of his lower abdomen where it shouldn't be.

Paulo struggled a little more, now forgetting that Jack was in the room, as all his effort and attention focused to stop from the files falling off his arms. However, one slipped out and fell splat on the ground, while the rest threatened to do the same. Clutching the rest in determination, Paulo proceeded to bend over to pick up the fallen one.

It was the last straw for the poor masculine blonde who caught a full view of Paulo's small ass sheathed in the tight uniform.

Something popped from inside Jack; and he was suddenly flushed with a wave of increased impatience tinged with testosterone. He stood up, his eyes fixed on the brunette who straightened up and continued handling the files oblivious to the staring blonde. Jack took no moment longer, the tight fabric of his shirt stretched as he sucked in an inaudible breath.

Next thing Paulo knew, Jack was grabbing his arm and turning him around roughly. Paulo gasped, "Woah?! Jackie- ", the files all dropping helter-skelter on the floor. He found his face gripped by the blonde's fingers, and the two tumbled onto Paulo's bed.

"OOmpf!" Paulo groaned, as the larger and heavier body pressed down on his. Blinking up at the face, he blushed terribly, "What's -... what- "

"Shut it, Paulo," Jack spoke low, his azure eyes were dramatically serious, and all Paulo could do was gape and wait till Jack spoke further. Paulo moved his hands a little, but Jack let go of Paulo's face and instead gripped both his wrists in his hands. He was currently kneeling on the bed, on all fours with Paulo lying under him like a helpless prey in the grasp of its predator.

Not that Paulo was complaining though.

"I'm _sick_ of this," Jack spat irritated, "I wanna kiss you again, but neither do _you_ got guts nor do_ I_ !"

Paulo blushed further, looking lost and abashed. Jack growled from the pits of his stomach, "You know what?! Screw it, I don't care!"

Paulo's eyes widened when Jack's mouth came crashing into his fuller lips. Moaning in surprise, Paulo felt the burning tongue fiercely squirm into his mouth and tackle his own. A second later, Paulo lost sense too, and he passionately returned the loving gesture. With their eyes screwed shut, they kissed fervently. Sparks zoomed up and down their spines as their tongues battled, until their breaths were gone.

Pulling back, Jack smacked his lips, mumbling, "I could get used to this..." He looked down at the younger male who gazed up in a daze through his red-rimmed glasses that were now lop-sided, while his cheeks blazed berry red. A slow sense of guilt descended upon Jack; he felt bad that he had forced himself on to the sensitive male, owing to his raging hormones.

Jack leaned low and pressed a comforting kiss onto the burning pink-red tainted cheek, "Sorry, I got a little overboard there..." pulling back to stare into the coffee eyes, "I didn't mean to force you... I was just a little desperate..." after a pause, he suddenly added, "Did I scare you? Say something! Please don't hate me!" his azure eyes roamed restlessly all over Paulo's face for a sign of positive reaction.

A small smile crept in Paulo's glistening lips. He chuckled softly, the red of his cheeks glowing tad brighter, "No, I don't hate you. I still love you, really! Actually, I should thank you for the wakeup call, I needed that. I have been shying away, that's true; but not because I hate you or anything, actually, nothing's been on my mind for the last hour but you; even my projects have been shoved at the back of my mind because I keep thinking of you for every second since - mmpphh!" Paulo's words were stalled when Jack kissed him again, unable to bear the gratitude bubbling in Paulo's sincere words.

Nothing more could be said till they broke the happy kiss for air. And then Jack hummed into Paulo's neck, "So you _do_ want to kiss me bad, eh? I thought I had creeped you out on our first time or something..."

"You're forgetting that I was the one who actually _started _the first kiss in the first place!" Paulo giggled, wincing with a grin when Jack's wet tongue ran up his jaw-line.

"Hmm, yeah, but I was the one who _confessed _first..." Jack kissed him along the neck, while Paulo squirmed further at the feel of the silken locks of short golden hair brush across his face.

"Ok, I surrender..!" Paulo sighed. Jack raised up his head and smirked, "Aw, so soon? I was hoping for some battle here!"

"Hard luck pal," Paulo grinned, tugging at his wrists still shackled in Jack's long fingers, "Besides, it won't be much of a fair battle if one of us is so helplessly vulnerable, right?"

_Helplessly... vulnerable... _

A great big grin spread wide across the good-looking face of the blonde, his ivory teeth displayed in the mischievous grin, his blue eyes sparkling in equal deviousness; Paulo blinked, "Ok, that was scary!"

"_Oh, it gets worse_," Jack hissed. Till now, Paulo was basking under the shadow of the heavy body towering on all fours. Then, Jack suddenly pressed down low and close to the body underneath. Paulo's eyes widened at the spoken words, but it was when he suddenly felt a hard bump dig into his own crotch, did his eyes nearly fall out of his sockets. Paulo immediately shut his eyes, and let out a strangled gasp, arching his back up, the wildest sensations running up and down his frame, "T-that's not your... is it..?!..."

"Oh, The Smart Paulo now? Where'd your 'what-what's go?" Jack whispered as he kept his hold on Paulo's wrists while shamelessly grinding into the younger male, who had swallowed his tongue. Incoherent and undecipherable noises escaped Paulo, all of which fed Jack with more and more urge to deepen and prolong his actions. Pressing hard into the brunette, Jack groaned in the newfound pleasure, burying his face into the pillow beside Paulo's head, covering the cowering body of the brunette in his own warmth and strength.

Finally one of Jack's wild wet dreams has come to reality.

Jack replaced his lips on Paulo's, then he shifted both of Paulo's wrists to the grasp of his left hand, and his free right hand meandered along the side of the squirming body, feeling the genteel but firm muscles of the feminine build contracting and relaxing under the DBS uniform. Encouraged by the moans sprouting within the kiss, he snaked his hand lower and lower the smooth contours until –

_'Bzzt!'_ The bedroom door opened and two teens let themselves in, casually walking into the room.

"Hey? You seen Paulooooo-oh-there-he-is!" Kevin called out, his question morphing into an exclamation midway,, "under...Jack?" Kevin and Ben froze at the sight of the two DBS on the bed. Ben jumped with an amused squeak and gripped onto Kevin's arm, while Kevin raised a curious eyebrow.

Jack looked like he could kill Kevin with a single gaze of smouldering indigo eyes.

"Well, well, well! You popped sooner than I thought!" Kevin smirked in mirth. Ben blushed at the sight of Jack who had now lifted his body up on all fours again, with the unbearably-blushing Paulo trapped underneath, his hands raised and pinned to the pillows by the wrists.

Paulo whimpered in embarrassment, squirming, "Mmmhghh... " unable do anything but lie helplessly in place.

Jack had never looked so deadly, even for Ben who although only knew him for a few days, felt the cheerful mirth was vaporised from his face, and he almost resemble an angry, interrupted-Kevin-in-heat; a blonde Kevin that is.

Kevin was not fazed in the least, but folded his hands and studied the scene as if he were a professor about to grade a homework assignment. "Not bad."

"Get out, Kevin." Jack spoke bluntly. Kevin only grinned further, "Ask nicely, Romeo."

Ben grasped his lover's arm, "Idiot, don't disturb them, we should really go!" and he turned to Jack, smiling his sweet apologetic smile that could calm even the angriest of people, "We're so sorry for walking in, Grandpa Max wanted to know about some coordinates of some undetectable Plumbers Station that he detected from his Plumbers Badge and we were searching for Paulo..." he glanced at the blushing brunette who blinked in alert, and then Ben added "...who's clearly preoccupied at the moment. No biggie, we'll come later!" and he tugged at Kevin's arm to make a move for the door. But Kevin was ten times Ben's strength and it was going to take three Bens to even make him shift.

"C'mon, Tennyson! Your such a goody-two-shoes!" Kevin smirked, while his eyes still studied the arousing scene. Neither Jack nor Paulo moved from their position, and Ben guessed that Jack's arms were hurting from the pause, and his neck form the turning.

"Learn good manners from him, Kevin; at least he apologised!" Jack snapped, and added with a growl, "Now, get your ass outta here, we're busy!"

"We're leaving, sorry!" Ben squeaked, tugging further at Kevin's arm. Seeing no improvement, Ben sighed.

Kevin added, "Can I watch?"

Paulo let out a surprised giggle. Jack looked like as he was seeing Kevin grow a ten-headed serpent from his stomach. Ben nearly gaped to the floor.

Ben hissed into Kevin's ear, his voice low, "Would you like it if I invited Gwen and Julie over to watch _us_ while _we_ make out?"

Kevin tilted his smirk, "Hmm, when you put it _that_ way..."

"Get a move on, before I tear you to pieces, man!" Jack shouted impatiently.

"Rutting goat!" Kevin called out as he walked away with a sighing Ben.

"Cockblocker!" Jack called out in reply.

And the door shut.

Sighing frustrated, Jack thought, _That jerk Kevin, he's my pal, I love him but I just don't get him sometimes!_ and then turning to the cute teenager sprawled under him, he smiled, "So... Where were we?"

Paulo blinked in a daze of awe, "Undetectable Plumbers Base in space..."

o.o.o

"Fuck you, Kevin. If I didn't owe you damn much, I'd castrate you with a soldering iron!"

"Sorry man! I had no idea Paulo would be so distractible!"

Jack and Kevin stood in the cockpit, the both leaning against the wall, former mumbling and grumbling under his breath in anger. His make-out session with Paulo after being interrupted failed; he had just decided to take it to the next level, but hell, the undetectable Plumbers Base shit got Paulo all worked up and perked up. Now, Jack, Kevin, Paulo, Ben, Max, Gwen and Julie were in the large cockpit of the ship, with them, excluding the two dominant lovers, trying to find out about the Base Max had detected, or such. Max and Paulo sat at a table attached to the wall, Gwen, Ben and Julie stood behind them, watching.

Kevin looked sideways and shrugged, "Really, I'm sorry! As I said, I had no idea that you would corner Paulo so easily! Or I would have watched out for the bedroom of all places!"

Jack shrugged too, realising there was no point in being angry with his guru, "Eh, its ok I guess. But I thought I could have... I thought maybe I could do him then-and-there."

"C'mon, Jack! Its not even twenty four hours since your confession and you want to lay him already?!"

"Says the guy who fucked his first crush seconds after _his_ confession!" Jack snapped crossly. Kevin grinned stupidly, scratching the back of his neck, "Aw, shucks, Jack! It was night, and all dark and comfy ... and circumstance you know?! And we were both desperate!"

Jack blinked. "I was desperate too..."

"Were you?" Kevin smartly questioned, "I know you really well, Jack. And I also know that as tough as you are, emotions really rock you off balance. Do you think you could perform the 'intimate act of extreme loving' properly while you still have a bit of coy locked in..." he poked at the centre of Jack's pecs, "... there?"

Jack gaped in realisation. He then frowned, scrunching up his nose crossly, "I hate it, man! The way you read me! Bah!" and he looked away.

Kevin chuckled, slinging an arm around the blonde's shoulder, and ruffling his golden locks, "Give it a rest, Jack; you should be lucky you have an experienced advisor like me!" Jack gave him a 'yeah sure' look, but he knew that he was indeed lucky to have someone to confront and ask for help.

"Besides, take it slow; according to what I know of you two, you should first get accustomed to your feelings, you know? Be comfortable being all lovey-dovey, even in company. Then, I am damn sure you will have what it takes to pop Paulo's cherry!"

Jack blushed at the thought. And then he had another thought.

"Did you have any such shy stuff to deal with? During your first time?" Jack asked in curiosity.

Kevin looked at him and puckered his lips in thought, "Yeah, now that you mention it, yeah. I mean, after Ben and I woke up in a tangled mess of sheets and cum, I say we were pretty freaked out; happy, wild, in-love, but freaked out. And considering we had two deadly girlfriends who would fry us for lunch if they came to know about us, we had to pretend to be like frenemies as we were. And for the first few days, whenever we were alone, I kept remembering all I had done to Ben's body and I would feel a bit guilty whether it was all just a temporary rush of hormones to him. But we sorted it out, you know, the same ol' same ol' talking and shit. And then we understood that we loved each other, it was all ok again!"

"You mean, 'and then you kept doing _it_ again and again', yeah?" Jack corrected him bluntly. Kevin nodded shamelessly, "Yup."

"Hmm. You're right, Paulo is kinda shy. I should just make things more comfortable for him, until he wants it, right?"

"You mean," Kevin corrected, "Until he wants _you_."

Jack had a slow, sly smile creep up his face, the same as Kevin's. Looking at each other, they grinned simultaneously.

Then Jack smiled apologetically, "You know, you're really something, Kevin! I'm sorry I called you a cockblocker earlier."

"No probs, you're already forgiven; I know how irritating it is to have the heat-of-the-moment interrupted, so eh, whatever you said was your hormones talking, not you; so no offense taken, buddy." Kevin shrugged like a good pal.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, thanks ..."

"Hmm," Kevin shrugged, and fell silent.

Jack stared at Kevin as if waiting for something to be said, and it made Kevin blinked at him questioningly, "What?"

"Well?"

"Well what?"

Jack stared at him, "Aren't _you_ going to apologize?"

"Apologize for what?"

"For calling me a rutting goat?!"

Kevin gasped in mock hurt, pressing his hand to his own heart, and exclaiming, again, in mock tease of a surprise, "What?! Must one apologize for the truth?!"

Jack's face went from concerned hurt to 'Ima kill ya' look as he hissed, "You son of a -"

Gwen and Julie turned from their spot behind the seats of Paulo and Max, to see Kevin and Jack engaged in some sort of a wrestle, where Jack was attempting to grip, or tear, or pull, at the raven's dark hair, while the later tries to defend himself; both of them swearing dirty with big grins.

"Aren't they as thick as thieves today?" Julie smiled at the two idiotic guys.

"They've been counselling; Kevin to Jack, as Ben said. Good for them!" Gwen shook her head sagely. Julie chuckled at that.

Meanwhile, Paulo was having the time of his life. Previously, Max had been at the cockpit (when asked why, he merely cleared his throat and continued with the story) and his Plumber's Badge started to go nuts. He then realised that it had detected a Base, floating near the area where Alex-Hepha was, but the reason his Badge was beeping so madly was because the Base oddly was unidentifiable to it. Realising something was off here, he called for Ben and Kevin and asked them to fetch the only superb hacker they had at the moment. A particular Paulo Consor.

Paulo had not yet experienced such an advanced security system; he was trying to hack into an invisibility shell or a location-eraser system on the Base, using its frequency of radiation.

"This is so fucking advanced and awesome!" Paulo gasped breathlessly, a weird psychotic smile of ecstasy on his face as he relentlessly and ceaselessly tapped away on his touch-screen high-tech keyboard, "Sweet!"

Max's face glowed in the blue aura of Paulo's hacking equipment, "You sure you can hack in, Paulo? It looks mighty hard..."

"Trust me Max; there's nothing this Paulo can't break through!" Paulo grinned, his confidence and skill rocketing in the excitement. He tapped away wildly, breaking code-by-code; it was a long drawn process, but he seemed definite that he could break it in while, "They can't hold on for long!"

Gwen blinked at the numeric and digital digits zooming across the screen in matrix blue, "Wait, why do we have to hack into this, Grandpa? Can't we just communicate with them through the Badge?"

Max spoke calmly, "That's because I don't want them to know we are here."

"Why not? It's after all, the Plumbers Base, right? Or is it that you don't wanna be found with the DBS?" Julie asked.

Max sighed, "As much as I hate to say this, no. You see, if that's not the Base, I don't want to alert them before we catch them!"

"Wait, what? Catch them?!" Ben looked sceptical.

Max then explained to the girls and Ben, as Paulo hacked away, "You see kids, every Base created anywhere in space is locatable on the Badge, so that in case we are stranded or in trouble, we can easily reach the nearest Base for medical or other help. This one however, seems to have a sort of immunity to the Badge's identifier. And that's not possible because the identification of any Base is allowed to the Badge."

"Then how come my Badge is not beeping? Or Ben's? Or Kevin's?" Gwen asked, looking down at the disk in her hand that sat mute and dumb.

"The identification and detection of _all_ Bases, secret, hidden or public, are permitted only to the Badges of higher authority, Gwen. Being a Magister, I have that right in my Badge. So any Base in space is detectable to me."

"What if this was just one newly built?"

"Then I would be informed. No Base in space goes unaware of by us. So if this one says 'Plumbers Base' but is not identifiable by my badge, then something's fishy. And if its imposters, they're toast!"

"Ooooh!" Gwen, Ben and Julie cooed in unison. Paulo grinned as he hissed breathlessly again, "60% complete... go baby go!" and his fingers seemed to dance fervently on the keyboard and in great speed. Like atomic-clock speed.

"Wow, Paulo, you're really going at it!" Kevin grinned, as he and Jack walked over to them, to see the DBS teen work seamless fast, his eyes glued on the glowing blue screen.

"That's my boy," Jack said proudly. When Max looked up with a curious eyebrow raised, Jack looked sheepishly, "I mean, that's my pal, hehe."

And they watched Paulo work his magic swiftly.

"So many locks and codes... " Paulo mumbled in awe as he worked, "Intricate and beautiful, almost perfect... but hehe, not so much eh? You think you can stand me? Think again!"

The stupefied rest of them turned and looked at Jack, who shrugged, "He tends to talk to himself a lot when he works at something this hot. Or talks to his work, as is the case here. Don't mind him."

Within ten minutes, Paulo suddenly stopped and threw his hands up in the air, "_Wuzzah! Done it! I'm in!_"

o.o.o

So they had figured it out.

Some criminal organisation (named XX4) who had chanced upon such high level of technology had utilised it to copy, or impersonate, a Plumber's security system to hide their HQ; very much like how on earth, pirates of the yore would don the flags of their previous loot to fool another ship until the new prey is close enough to realise that the flag and the yucky ship don't match! And here, the HQ of the criminals had placed their detectablity as a Plumbers Base, and identifiability at restriction, so that no one would be able to catch them impersonating, or even dare and try to hack in.

And now, thanks to Paulo's ingenious skill, they had hacked in and read all details of the loot, their plans and schemes.

"Don't you think they will detect that they're being hacked?" Max had asked. Paulo had replied with a grin, "Nope! I had put up a special... you can say, shield, that lets me remain invisible to them as I drill through!"

Max and the rest of them were mighty impressed. Except Jack, who was grinning because he knew little Paulo's great capabilities, this didn't come as a surprise.

Max was currently on a audio conversation with the Plumber's Head Base by his own Badge, informing them of the imposters XX4 they had found, who were unaware that they have been caught by a Plumber-plus-DBS combo.

"..yeah, that's the coordinates." Max spoke, while the rest of them watched.

_"Do the Organisation XX have an alert on you finding them?"_ came the crisp male voice on the other end. Since the cockpit had fallen immensely silent, the six of them could hear the other end of the conversation too.

"No, they have no idea I found them."

_"I see. Well, the information has been passed to the Plumbers; we will send a squad to approach XX4 in stealth, Magister."_

"Good. See to it that none of the organisation is spared; they have some serious criminal records."

_"Affirmative, Magister."_ There was a pause, before the man resumed, _"Uh, if you do not mind my asking so, Magister, how did you know that it was the XX4 group? The system they have used is highly unidentifiable as you have said?"_

The six of them widened their eyes. Max's own aging eyes fell sly on Paulo's shocked face. If Max let the Head Base know that Paulo hacked into the system, Max as a Plumber would have no choice but to present Paulo and Jack into custody. But being a Plumber, and against the DBS, he would have to report the youngsters, wouldn't he?

Max's eyes fell on Paulo, who looked fearful, his eyes said, '_I don't know what your decision is, but..._'.

Then he looked at Jack, who placed a hand on Paulo's arm, his blue eyes gazing in calm fear as well, saying '_Do what you think is right, Max'_.

Then Max's eyes met with Kevin's coffee pair that said, '_I'm not leaving them in prison after all they've done_.'

Max then saw Gwen's green eyes, blink in unison with Julie's, both seemed to say, '_You're not really going to give them away are you?'_

Then finally Max met eye-to-eye with is grandson, whose green eyes sparkled in beseeching concern, '_Who helped us get to Tetraxia, Grandpa?_'

It was a choice between humanity, and patriotism to his work as a Plumber. Max looked thoughtful as he eyed them all over again.

_"Magister? Are you there?"_ came the voice form the Badge.

"Oh, sorry, I was reading a Manual to confirm the details of XX4 written here..." Max lied, to cover up the pause he took to answer the previous question, in case he sounded suspicious.

_"Ah, it must be why you are always up to the mark, Magister!" _the voice seemed to smile in appreciation.

"Thank you, I'm flattered," Max smiled, "Uh, did you ask me something?" feigning innocence.

_"Oh, yes; about how did you know it was the XX4?"_

"Ahhhh... it ," Max started, the six of them held their breaths, "... was my lucky guess." And they all relaxed inaudibly, sighing invisible sighs of relief.

_"Oh?! Well, interesting!"_ the voice laughed a little, before clearing his throat, "_Sorry, I think the Squads need me now. I shall inform you of any updates of the findings after they capture the XX4. Thank you, Magister!_"

Max calmly welcomed the voice, and switched off his Badge. He looked at them all, smiling. Ben jumped and ran to his grandfather, enveloping him in a warm embrace, "Aw, Grandpa! You saved Jack and Paulo!"

Max smiled, returning the hug. Pulling back, Ben's eyes shone in appreciation, "I KNEW you would not bail on them!"

Max looked at the DBS teens who looked like as if they were passengers who had just survived the Titanic sink. Jack and Paulo looked gatefully at the Tennyson who got up from his seat and walked to them.

"You think I would just dispose of you both after what you both did to save my little Ben? Not the Gods in Heaven would forgive me for that. You two risked your lives accompanying us to sneak into _Tetraxia_; you helped us control Ben as a Vulphorous and were _hurt_ in the process; you let a _Vulphorous_ run the length of your ship and risk infecting it rather than risk _my_ safety. And now, thanks to you, Paulo, a lot of planets will be saved from the assault of the XX4 group," Max nodded acknowledging, "Thank you for all of that; I may be a Plumber, and you Deranged Black Skulls, but above all our enmity, I owe you big time."

Paulo and Jack looked stupefied at the older Tennyson, to hear a speech of gratitude from the man was a great compliment but surprise.

"Uh, thanks man... I mean, sir?" Jack grinned. Max shook his head with a smile himself.

"Uh, sorry to break the whole emotional thing, "Gwen spoke apologetically, "But um, I have a doubt, may I ask?"

The faces turned to the female Tennyson who looked at Paulo, obviously her question was for him.

"Yeah, sure?" Paulo spoke.

"When the Plumbers catch the XX4, won't they find out the hacking you did, and reverse engineer it to you? And then they would coincide it with the coordinates of Grandpa's Badge while he was talking to them, and then find out that we were all in this together?!"

There was a stunned silence.

Six faces slowly turned to Paulo. To their surprise, he grinned, ever so slowly that Jack almost died at the beauty of it. Paulo actually gave out a cute chuckle, saying, "Good question Gwen, and I applaud you for thinking that. Actually I have it already taken care of. You see, as I hacked my way into the system, I erased my path as I went, so that no one could trace it back to me! You could say that half the time I took to hack was for erasing the path itself! I forethought that, you know!"

They all gaped at him. "You're awesome!" Gwen and Julie gasped together.

Jack curled his arm around Paulo's shoulder and grinned at him, "Clever ol' Paulo!"

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_And what do we learn frm this chapter? (wait, we were learning things from yaoi?!) we learn that somethimes, it ok to ditch the rules and listen to humanity rather than betray someone whos helped us a lot. and we also learn that jack is a fucking horny idiot, and paulo is an oblivious temptation! and kevin can be a irritating pervert as well as an excellent advisor (who knew?! :D) and ben was always the cute lil understanding uke ben. and yaoi fangirls rock! waahhoooo!_**

**_peace out!_**

**_:P srry for the long long long wait; im ... well im kinda lazy. (smacked on the head for that) srry! _**

**_pls review! :D_**


	26. Lips like sugar, and sweet goodbyes

_**omg! its 12/12/12! :D last day in our lifetimes to have the same number in triple! :P**_

_**lets post a chaptah! :D yeah!**_

_**warning: yaoi, boys love, slash, gay, whatyamacallit, :P uve been warned! :D**_

_**disclaimer : i do not own ben ten alien force**_

* * *

_**ITS A WILDLIFE**_

_**Chapter twenty six : Lips like sugar, and sweet goodbyes**_

"This calls for celebration!" Jack announced.

Not just for the fact that Paulo had saved several planets from invasion, or the fact that he had helped the Plumbers of all people, but also for the fact that Ben was cured and ready to go home. Possibly, if there's any time they have to party, it's now.

"Lets all go to the Conference Room!" Paulo announced. Ben looked a little baffled, so he turned to Kevin. But funnily enough, Kevin was grinning and nodding at Paulo's suggestion. And so was Jack.

Ben turned to Gwen and Julie who were thankfully as confused as him. Who _parties_ in a _Conference_ Room?!

Paulo grabbed Ben's arm, and pulled at him, his face shining, "Come on! It'll be fun! We usually don't have a lot of company so we don't use it all the time! Unless there's the monthly DBS Meeting..."

"The Conference Room? Are we going to discuss stuff?" Gwen asked, for once, despite being the sharp minded nerd, she felt dismayed. Julie shared glances with her.

Max got up from his seat and sighed. "Well, you guys go ahead and do whatever you want; I'm going back to my long-needed naps!" he gave out a small yawn.

"Ok, Grandpa, sleep well!" Ben leaned over to peck his full lips to the aging cheek of Max, who smiled down at him, patting the top of his brunette head.

So, while the elderly man left for his dormitory, Jack and Paulo led the rest to the Conference Room. After about five minutes they reached the snazzy, blue-black sliding door. Jack put out a hand and dialled a particular code (at which, everyone started to peer curiously, and when he looked at them before he typed, they all turned away, whistling) and the door slid sideways to reveal the room.

It was huge and spacious. With projectors, a large Plasma TV, and at the centre of the room was the round table with several floating chairs neatly arranged around it. To Ben, the arrangement almost looked like petals of a flower. The walls were made of navy blue panels, simple solid colour that gave a calm but serious countenance to the room.

Looking around, Ben noticed the room was so sophisticated and austere. Mostly all words associated with 'business thingy' could fit in describing this room. He had to agree, if he was in one of his rare serious modes and had difficult anti-alien-invasion strategies to discuss with officials, then _this_ is the kind of room he would want to be in. But poor Ben could not, for the life of him, see why they all could have _fun_ in this sort of place.

Jack and Paulo walked into the centre of the room and beamed at the four teenagers.

"So, whatd'ya think? Cool, huh?" Jack asked slyly. Kevin only grinned in reply and looked at the three others for their opinions. Technically, neither of the three wanted to admit that this place was not tickling the funny-bone.

"Um... its ... pretty _spacious_," Julie tried to sound polite. It was obvious; focus on the good qualities and ignore the boring. "What do you think, Gwen?" she looked at her best friend, who glared at her momentarily, for having passed her the detonating bomb of 'awkward'.

"Uh, yeah.. its.. _classy_, and_ neat_," she then turned to her cousin, not sparing him from the oddness, "Ben? What about you?"

_Thanks a lot, Gwen!_ Ben narrowed his eyes at her, and then turned to Jack and Paulo, smiling politely, "Its a ... very _comfy_ Conference room, I would love to uh... have conferences in here?"

Paulo then added suavely, "It's not a great place to party, is it?"

Immediately the three agreed. "Yeah, no", "Not fun at all", "What were you thinking."

Jack and Paulo looked at each other with wide grins. And the next moment, the two raised a hand and flipped a switch each. The switches were on the side wall, next to a small speaker, and hence they were completely out of notice, until now.

Ben, Gwen and Julie started a little when they heard whirring noises. And then it unfolded before their very eyes.

The segments of the walls broke and projected themselves, then turned backwards. The three watched in fascination, as bit-by-bit the walls merged and transformed from austere navy blue to glittering black and red. It was a great change; it made the room darker and dimmer.

The next moment, the ceiling flipped too, replacing the flat circular lights with what seemed to be a disco ball of hexagonal facets all over its spherical area. It threw light everywhere in shimmers and spotlights, making it already exciting.

Gwen and Julie gaped when a particular section of the wall swivelled sideways and from a secret compartment, a huge music system appeared, all sleek, black and high-tech. The Plasma TV meant for the conference suddenly popped game systems on either sides.

They gaped when a bowling alley appeared to their right, and a pool table to the left, and few arcade games farther to their left, all while maintaining the large open space in between the round table and the wall opposite the door.

"Woah..." Gwen's face glowed in the several lights shining from the up above ball, "You're kidding me..."

"I take back everything I said!" Julie beamed, her brown eyes wide at the sights.

Kevin, however, knew of the conference-come-club room, so he only stood with his arms crossed at his chest, cocky grin on his face, sparkle in his eyes.

They immediately scattered; Gwen and Julie running for the bowling, Jack switching on some random music, Paulo went over to the drinks shelf and referred through them.

"How do you manage all the food and stuff?" Ben asked, looking around. Paulo answered with a grin, "Yeah, well, we got connections that uh, we can't really say out you know,... hhehe," and in reply Ben giggled, nodding, "Oh I get it! Haha, ok, I almost forgot you guys were the DBS!"

The Round table itself started to have changes; in the middle of the table, a hole of smaller circumference sunk into the ground and a tall cylindrical glass shelf appeared out of it majestically loaded with...

"_Smoothies!_" Ben gaped. His eyes, seeming neon in the darkness, were so wide that Kevin feared Ben might turn into an owl.

The brunette broke into a sprint, reaching the edge of the table, gripping it with yellow knuckles because he couldn't go further than the edge, his neon green eyes wrought on the different flavours of smoothies attractively placed in the shelf. A single machine sat atop the long structure, chugging out the smoothies in level three alien technology.

"I had the smoothie machine fixed out. Kevin did mention you were crazy about them," Jack shrugged, enjoying the awe in the brunette's.

Ben turned to Jack, his face euphoric as he ran to the blonde and gave him a great big hug, "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! I missed smoothies so much, you just made this day better! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he even proceeded to grip Jack's shocked face and plant a kiss on his right cheek. A glaze of red graced both of Jack's cheek when Ben pulled back, beaming.

Blue eyes with dilated pupils immediately flicked to Paulo, who was actually smiling sweetly at the sight, chuckling. _Phew_, went Jack. He smiled down at the shining face, looking into the brunette's green eyes, and squawked, "Hehe... welcome, Benji!"

Kevin shook his head, "Don't push your luck, pal!" at which, Paulo punched Kevin playfully in the arm, cooing, "Ooh, someone's jealous!"

"You don't really expect me to reply 'no way' to that, do you?" Kevin raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Naw," Paulo grinned at him.

Ben and Jack discussed of the whole smoothie machine while pouring out some for himself and the hero; and probably by the manner in which Ben listened to Jack explaining its out-of-earth mechanisms, it was almost as if Ben might install one at home! Gwen and Julie meanwhile ran over to what seemed like a dance booth.

"And talking of jealous, shouldn't _you_ be?!" Kevin asked, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. Paulo blinked at him as he handed the raven a glass of punch from one of the vending machines.

"Well," Paulo looked over to Jack and Ben, the airheaded brunette was pressed against the equally airheaded blonde who had an arm around them, both sharing their mutual interests with laughs and giggles.

"Well?" Kevin raised an eyebrow, sipping at the red liquid.

"I guess I sorta am," Paulo chuckled, "But not the deadly, 'imgonnakillya' kind, just the light 'heykeepyourhandsoff' kind you know?"

Kevin laughed out loud, "Ha! Don't I know it?!"

o.o.o

And the day passed in that matter, the six partying in the room. It was a wild and fun time.

At one instant, the six split into two teams; Jack, Kevin and Gwen on one team; while Paulo, Ben and Julie were on the other. And they competed on the dancing booth, the scores turning out a draw, leading to their competition in the arcade like as if for their life. At the end, Ben's team won at which the three did their happy dance, while the remaining three laughed their asses off, hence the defeat was _so_ worth it!

Bowling followed, of which Julie knocked all five of the teens down with a superb victory. All she did was accept her success with one of her cute little humble smiles, Gwen crushing her under a congratulating embrace.

In the smoothie contest of who could chug down the most amount of smoothies, there was no doubt that Ben would win. Almost looking sinister, Ben put down the 15th glass of smoothie on the table, once more calling out to the voice-activated smoothie-machine, "Hit me again!" and the contenders (rest five) simply dropped their heads limp on the table, about to throw up having consumed 10 glasses of too-good sweetness. Ben merely grinned wider as he downed another two glasses before he decided to stop.

Once the five recovered from the smoothie hangover, they continued their games. Kevin surprisingly kicked their asses on the pool table; Jack won for the racing in the arcade; Paulo won a brilliant midgame that gave them all a second hangover, this time of the brain! Gwen topped a kungfu game, grinning widely ear-to-ear, saying her taekwondo and karate classes paid off better than she had thought.

By the end of it all, they were done with games, and currently, Ben and Paulo were busy loosing it on the dance floor to Flo Rida's Sugar; while Jack and Kevin watched them from a corner, with their eyes on the respective hips of their suddenly talented lovers. Soon, Gwen and Julie (both had taken a break from the fun) joined the two on the dance floor, all four imitating Gwen's versions of Shakira and Beyonce moves ("insanely cute" as Paulo described it) while Jack and Kevin watched further, their eyes wide.

Kevin and Jack were not the dancing kind of people.

But hell if their lovers were going to help it!

Soon, the two foxes, intoxicated in their heads with the excitement and fun (and ofcourse, the music), danced their way slyly to the blonde and raven, cajoling them into the light of the disco ball, with Gwen and Julie. Standing like stumps of trees in the woods, Kevin and Jack watched the two dance around and around them, till they had no choice but to give in.

o.o.o

After three hours...

Max got up from a long nap, wondering where the kids were.

Listening to blearing music from some distance, he got out of his dorm and followed it till he reached its source. He stood at the doorstep of the Conference Room, gaping at the sight of the six teens do the conga line to Pitbull's Don't Stop The Party. Evidently, the six of them had unintentionally (or maybe not) gotten drunk. After all, it was not just smoothies available in the drinks section.

Max did not even _try _to get pissed at his grandchildren for engaging in underage drinking. Just seeing the six red-glazed happy faces laughing and enjoying their otherwise tedious life, he decided to leave it at that.

Smiling, the old man turned to return back to his room for more naps.

o.o.o

After their _third_ hangover which had followed their dance party, the teens were all prepped and fresh from a good throw-up session and nice long naps.

Thus finally, forty eight point six hours passed.

Alex-Hepha slowly descended on the brown-green ground of the backwater planet humans called home.

It was already dark and obviously night.

"Oh my God! Earth! ... It suddenly looks so _new_ to me!" Ben gaped, his face pressed to the glass window, Kevin stood beside him, smiling in reply, "That's 'cause you don't travel a lot; its your first time going into space for such a long duration, right?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded. He turned to Kevin, his greens eyes eager, "Feels good to be home."

"It does," Kevin added, winding an arm around his beloved's shoulder.

After a lot of time, five figures stood outside the great Alex-Hepha which had morphed to its smaller helicopter version. With their sleeping bags, travel bags and ice-coolers, they welcomed the scent of their home, letting it nestle into their souls again.

And it was time to say goodbye.

Ben pouted, teary-eyed as he held Paulo's hands, "I'm going to miss you, Paulo!" to which Paulo pouted back, "I'm going to miss you too, Ben!"

Jack and Kevin stared at the shiny eyed youngsters cooing at each other in farewell. Then the two dominant males turned to each other, smirking, "Its been a fun ride, Jack; literally and figuratively!"

Jack grinned back, "Damn sure it was! And... I really owe you one, for helping me out with my feelings for Paulo."

Kevin grinned, "Anything to help you out, buddy!"and the two hugged each other in a brotherly way.

The girls were all glittery-eyed too, hugging the DBS boys when they were done with Ben and Kevin.

"When will we see you again?" Gwen asked. Julie looked on in unision of Gwen's question.

"Probably a while later, I'm afraid," Paulo shrugged, "We won't be in this Galaxy for quite a bit so... yeah. But of course, if there's any problem, like you guys had, don't hesitate to call us ok?"

"Sure!" Kevin smiled.

Max hadn't said anything yet, so he stepped forward and hugged them both simultaneously in one go (he had enough girth to do so), the DBS boys were feeling oddly comfy in the large arms of the bear-hug. Pulling back, the man looked down at them, smiling, "Thanks for everything."

"S-sure!" they stammered cheekily, blushing.

Max then quirked an eyebrow in thought, looking at Paulo, "You haven't seen the Omnitrix, have you? We will be returning Ben the Omnitrix after his appointment with Doctor Sands, do you want to stick around till that?"

Paulo's mouth fell open, and he looked dismayed. He looked at Jack who looked back; turning back to Max, both looking doubtful. Paulo spoke, "Bummer! As tempting as the offer is, we have some important DBS business to do, which we had earlier postponed to help Ben get the antidote from Tetraxia!"

"Oh, I see. It's ok then," Max shrugged, and after a pause, he asked, "I'm not supposed to ask what the business is, am I?"

"Uh, no," the two shook their heads. Max grinned with a shrug. And they grinned back.

Ben sighed in disappointment, "Aw, I really wanted to show you the Omnitrix; I remember how you were so freaked out to know about it and me!"

Jack and Paulo grinned. Paulo replied, placing a hand on Ben's shoulder, looking at the green orbs with his mellow mahogany, "It's ok Ben; when I am destined to  
see it, I will. But on the bright side, I met _you_! Sometimes, its cooler to meet the cool wielder of a cool tech, than meeting the tech itself."

Ben's green eyes shimmered like jade diamonds as he smiled in appreciation, "Aw, _Paulo!"_ and he burst into a warm, loving hug.

... a few minutes later ...

The five figures standing on the ground looked up and waved at the large helicopter-Alex-Hepha that chugged slowly into the air in a whirr of blades and whipping winds, the pilots waving off from the cockpit windows, before suddenly shooting off in surprising speed like a comet.

"I really will miss those two," Max hummed to himself.

o.o.o

Doctor Sands gazed at Doctor Stacy.

She was starting to worry him; because in her free time, she would frown into the distance and think ever so deep, as if trying to figure out some difficult arithmetic problem. Which was not common for she was very good at arithmetic. Her pearl grey eyes would seemed troubled, her face would seem searching for answers unreachable to her. He wondered whether there was something nagging her, and he wanted to help her without appearing imposing or forceful.

There came a knock on the white door.

Doctor Stacy looked up from a patient's file that she had been studying. Getting up, she opened the door, to see a nurse. She spoke to the nurse who informed her news. Turning, she smiled at the Doctor who sat at his desk, also studying a patient's case.

"Doctor Sands, Ben Tennyson has returned to Earth. He has arrived _here_, with his friends and grandfather."

The blue eyes looked up and smiled, "Ah, well! On time. I adore their efforts."

Soon, the two doctors walked out of the office and into the lobby, where the five travellers sat chatting. On spotting the two blondes walking up to them, they all got up, beaming.

"Doctor Sands!" Ben grinned, his fair face shining in adoration, "Hi!"

The said doctor came up to Ben and patted his shoulder, smiling in good nature, "As youthful as ever, I see. Are we feeling good now?"

"Yeah, no bugs."

"Good. Now, let's get you readied for the general check-up, shall we?"

The doctor nodded at the rest of them, before leading Ben to his office, Doctor Stacy following the two after bestowing a welcome smile to the group.

o.o.o

An hour later...

"So, how many half transformations did you go through visit since your first Full Transformation?" asked the doctor at the desk, as he wrote down his observations of the one-hour long check up.

Ben who sat on the opposite chair twiddled his thumb nervously, "Uh, a couple of times?"

Doctor Sands looked up, his blue eyes laughing but his lips smiling politely, "No particular number? Come along now, don't be shy."

Ben blinked adorably, his cheeks glowing in embarrassment, "Uh, " he mused, counting in his head and saying out loud, "Two times, and then one time when I was almost done with the Half Transformation, but Kevin managed to inject me with the shots so, I didn't."

"And the stimuli?"

"Uh, thef irst time was when I kept..uh... looking at Kevin, and then I switched on a song by mistake. It was really symbolic of my condition; that song, I mean. The second time was when I almost transformed, that was also because of a song. The proper third time was in Space, after we stole the antidotes, my friend the DBS Jack was shot and I saw the blood and then it sorta went nuts in me! I couldn't stop, I went berserk! I caused _more_ damage there, hurting _all_ of them and ... " Ben's voice was starting to waver in an auto-response of fear.

"Ben! You don't have to be so fearful now; you are no longer a Vulphorous," the man smiled, his eyes speaking along with the calm words in his silken voice, and it soothed Ben immediately.

Doctor Sands was born to be a doctor.

The man put out a hand and placed it on Ben's which sat on the edge of the table, "Let this sink into you, although it has already, but you seem to still doubt it involuntarily," and he spoke in slow firm tones, "You, are, _no_, longer, a Vulphorous. You can _eat_ whatever you want, _see_ whatever you want, _listen _to whatever you want, _feel _whatever you want, _do_ whatever and," he then winked, "...and _whom_ever you want. Preferably Kevin?"

Ben blushed intensely at that.

Doctor Sands actually laughed, a clear polite laugh, it made Ben want to gaze at him; Doctor Sands was a handsome man, to be mentioned.

Shaking his head of golden hair, he smiled, looking down at the file, "Your reports are all good news; all systems are working, with no problems..." looking up at the brunette, he spoke in a finalising manner, "You're good to go."

"Really? I'm completely fine, like no more check-ups?"

"Uh-uh-uh! You've forgotten what I told you from Floating Xoar; you _have_ to keep visiting me for check-ups once a week, remember?"

"Oh... ok. Almost forgot! But it's ok, Kevin would remind me, he's really good at that."

"Actually, I think what he's really good at is making sure you're in good condition."

Ben blushed again, looking down at his hands, "Yeah, I'm lucky like that..."

"Of course."

A few moments later, the man closed Ben's records, and folded his hands over the desk. He spoke, "You can leave now, Ben; Max will be waiting with the Omnitrix for you!""

"Oh my God, yeah!" Ben's face lit up. Getting up, he shook hands with the doctor, and a polite "Thanks" later, Ben flew out of the room, eagerly.

When Ben ran out of the room, his heart soared, finally things were going right again, no more tedious watching-out or silent tears of longing. It was all gone, the chains that bound him away from a particular raven, and a green-black gadget that had been like a second limb to him.

In the lobby, he saw them all, but not just the people he was with, but also the Plumber Kids. Max had disappeared though, probably to fetch the Omnitrix.

"Ben! How did the check-up go?" Kevin asked as Ben walked to him. The brunette answered happily,a pleasent glow of normalcy in his face, "He said I was completely fine, but still have to drop in weekly, just in case."

"Yeah, he told me that from the Floating Xoar, and I remember it. Well, nothing's wrong with you anymore, I'm glad. Phew."

The Plumbers Kids surrounded him, asking how he was and how his travels had been.

"How are you feeling now?" ... "Was Tetraxia creepy?" ... "Did the antidotes hurt when they used it?"... "How were those DBS guys? Were they serious, creepy dudes? Or friendly?"... "What was the Wormhole Cross like?"

Ben laughed and asked them to slow down and speak one at a time, and he answered all their questions patiently.

A few minutes of explanations, later...

"Well, I'm glad everything's back to the way it was," Pierce sighed, looking sympathetically at Ben, "It was real tough on you."

Helen agreed with a nod. "Yeah, you suffered enough. Now, after you wear the Omnitrix, we will all be the normal abnormalities we usually were," Helen added optimistically. Manny looked at her awkwardly and then grinned when he understood the irony.

A low ring sounded, and their faces turned to Pierce who pulled out a cellphone from his pocket. Looking at the screen of the black slick gadget, he smiled at the group and excused himself, "Just a sec, gotta attend."

Ben watched Pierce attend the call as he walked to the further end of the corridor, with one hand pressed to one ear, and the other hand holding the cell to his other ear. Ben noticed Manny, Allen and Cooper snicker and giggle. He looked at them weirdly.

"What? What's so funny?" the brunette demanded in confusion. Kevin, Gwen and Julie synched his confused expression.

Manny was the one to answer with a mischievious grin, "You got stuff to catch up on, man! Pierce found someone!"

The four frowning teenagers blinked the browns and greens of their eyes. Baffled they stared at the group continuing their snickering.

Gwen narrowed her green eyes at them as she spoke, "_Found_ someone? As in?"

"Pierce has a boyfriend!" Helen smiled. She actually looked proud of her brother.

Ben, Gwen and Julie gaped instantaneously and Kevin actually cracked up! He laughed out as if it was the most unbelievable and funny thing in the world, "Pierce has a _boyfriend_?! What's his name, like _Spike_?!"

Helen, Manny, Allen and Cooper stared at Kevin as if he had grown ten dragon heads and a flaming purple tail.

"How'd you know that?!" Cooper asked inawe.

Kevin stopped laughing. "Huh? Ok, thats just weird! It was a lucky guess! I was joking! His names really _Spike_?!" his raven eyebrows shot up his forehead in surprise.

Allen added, "Yeah. Spike Meacan; Pierce and he met a few days ago."

Ben had happy-doe eyes again, as he cooed, "_Aw!_ I _knew_ Pierce would find someone one day!"

"Yeah! How sweet! Pierce and Spike! Aw!" The ladies (Gwen, Julie and yes, Ben) sighed happily, the same happy girly look on their faces.

Kevin rolled his eyes and turned to the rest of them, standing akimbo in annoyance, "What species is he? Part-human, part-porcupine like Pierce himself?"

"Yeah, uh... your guesses are creepily accurate," Allen raised an eyebrow.

"It's a gift," Kevin grinned proudly.

By then, Pierce returned from his call, slipping the cell into his pocket as he walked up to them, "Sorry guys, took a few minutes longer. So, what I miss?"

The group was silent.

Kevin gave Pierce a long,weird look. The raven tried to hold back, but the question popped from his mouth, "Have you guys done it yet?"

Pierce froze, and looked stumped. "Have who done what yet?"

It was then that Pierce noticed the glittery eyes of Ben, Gwen and Julie, three of whom were gazing at him like fans do at celebrities. He turned to Manny whose cheeks had inflated with air in the effort to stop chuckling. Pierce turned to his sister who seemed more intent on observing the stripes on her tail than look at her brother. The tan-skinned teen then looked at Allen who turned to Cooper who looked back at Allen, but neither of the two looked back at the Plumbers Leader.

It suddenly clicked within Pierce's head.

"_You guys_ _told them about_ _Spike?!_" Pierce spat angrily at his teammates. His eyes wild and tan cheeks blazing, he narrowed his eyes at the large Tetramand, while folding his hands across his chest, "You were shooting of your mouth again, weren't you, Manny?!"

"What? I didn say nothin!" he defended himself, but when the powerful leader-look (the kind that breaks any barrier of lies) came his way from Pierce who glared daggers at him, Manny had no choice. Four red palms held up in defeat, he admitted, "Fine, I told 'em; couldn help it!"

No fear, the hero of the Universe came to the Tetramand's resque. "You don't have to scold him, Pierce!" Ben spoke up, quickly saving Manny who sighed in relief when Pierce turned to the brunette.

"You would have informed us of Spike anyway, right?" Ben asked sweetly.

Pierce blushed as he looked around the group, his eyes landing on the smirking Kevin. "Yeah, I guess I would have to. And even if I didn't you guys would squeese it out of me eventually!"

Gwen and Julie jumped into his comfort zone immediately, "What's he like?! Is he cute?"

Pierce gave a sheepish smile that made him look handsome, and scratching the back of his neck he answered, "Oh,c'mon! I _date_ him; I can't say he's not cute!"

"I think the actual way the logic works is that you _won't _date him if he's _not_ cute", Kevin grinned wisely.

Ben frowned at his boyfriend, and punched him lightly on the arm, "You big meanie!" (at which Kevin pretended that his arm hurt) and then the brunette turned to Pierce, saying, "So, how'd you two meet?!"

Pierce was flattered with the attention, unlike Manny and Kevin who were constantly trying to piss him off, Ben was an angel. No wonder he had warmed to the brunette when he met him from the Null Void.

"Uh, we all were on a Plumber Mission. Then, we saw Spike fight the aliens alone. His dad was also a Plumber, who died, and he doesn't know who his mom is. We asked him to join us and he agreed," Pierce shrugged, "And since he and I were of the same species, we... connected."

"Like physically?" Kevin smirked questioningly again, only to groan 'oomph' when Ben dug his elbow into his rib.

Turning his attention to Pierce again, Ben smiled. "Aw," he sighed, placing his hands on either of Pierce's shoulders, "I told you, you would find someone, didn't I?!" he beamed sweetly, Pierce found himself melting on the inside.

_Atleast someone appreciates true love..._

Then, a voice came from the corridoor.

"Hey, Pierce, sorry I'm late! Got lost in the corridors, twice! Hehe..." a figure came in, and at the sight of all the people around, he stopped, "...heheh...oh?!".

Onyx eyes looked around at Kevin, Ben, Gwen and Julie. Short black hair, with a single thick, long fringe running vertically down one eye. A silver-ring-piercing on the lower lip corner shone in the light. The lean figure about a little taller than Ben, he wore the same clothes as Pierce. Faint dark eyebrows knitted in thought as he gazed at the four faces unfamiliar to him.

"D-dd-p... Spike!" Pierce stammered in alarm, "Uh", he turned to glare at Kevin as if to telepathically tell him to shut up before he spat anything stupid.

Too late.

"Well, waddya know? He _is_ kinda cute. More along the lines of hot," Kevin graded him. The graded specimen raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Ben hissed low, indignantly, "Kevin!" and sighed in the defeat of managing his boyfriend's remarks. He saw the figure looking at Pierce for explanations.

"Uh, Spike, uh.." Pierce started.

"Lemme guess," Spike gave a enthralling and smart smirk (Kevin found it creepy that it looked like his own)

Spike looked at the brunette with the sparkly green eyes, "You're the cute Ben Tennyson...", and then looked at the raven studying him, "And you're his frenemy-turned-boyfriend Kevin Levin..." and then to the girls, "The cousin Tennyson, Gwen; and the cute Jap chic, Julie. Am I right?"

Pierce grinned, "Yeah, you are," he looked at the rest to introduce Spike, towards whom he gestured, "Guys, this is Spike, obviously!"

Ben was very hospitable. He jumped forward, "Hi! A pleasure to meet you!" he offered a hand sweetly. Spike took his hand and instead of shaking it, he bowed a little and pressed the back of Ben's slim hand to his lips, speaking a few lines in pure Spanish, adding the translation, "The pleasure is _all_ mine. You are very beautiful!"

One face blushed impressed and flattered. Four faces looked blunt in uncomprehension of gayness. Two female faces blushed and lit in excitement. Two male faces burnt in jealously, folding their hands across their chests.

Kevin had his voice low as he hissed sideways at Pierce, "Tell your guy to watch it!" at which, Pierce hissed back, "You tell _your_ guy to watch it!"

"I can't help it if Ben's super cute!"

"I can't help it if Spike's super suave!"

They glared silently at each other.

Meanwhile, Ben gasped, "Spanish?" and Spike spoke (his voice only mildly tainted with the accent),"I lived with a Spanish man all my life; he looked after me, before he died a few months ago."

"Oh, I see," Ben blushed again. Spike looked around to spot the girls watching him excitedly. "Oh? Lovely ladies, hello!"

He walked to them and bowed, doing the same as with Ben, this time taking the hands of both girls. They squealed shyly.

"Wow, you're quite refined!" Gwen breathed. Julie added, "Welcome to our gang!"

"Thank you, you all are so kind."

His onyx eyes then fell on Kevin, who (although impressed) still had a tinge of jealousy in his face. ('_Nobody_ touches Ben, but _me_!')

"Wassup," Kevin greeted bluntly. They all expected some sort of a fight to issue from this, but Spike actually walked up to him and looked at him slyly, "You're mouth's really spontaneous. I like honest guys with dirty mouths."

"I don't wake up every day to impress _you_," Kevin retorted flatly.

Spike gave an amused grin, "I _really_ like this guy!" he turned his head to Pierce, "Remind me why you didn't fall for _him_?"

"SPIKE!" Pierce shrieked in furious indignation, his tan cheeks going beet red in embarrassment, "You're _just_ as worse as _he_ is! Urgh!"

Kevin gave out a sudden grin at the onyx eyed male, "Ok, _now,_ I like you too!" and Spike returned the grin. The ravens smacked each other's fists in victory, sneering.

"_That _can't be a good sign," Allen wondered out loud, and Cooper only nodded in agreement. Helen sighed while Manny told himself that Spike addition to the Plumbers Kids team was going to _spice_ things up.

All was well again! And merry!

- End of Chapter -

* * *

_**omg finally! another chapter!**_

_**how do you all like spike? hes the uke to pierce btw, but he teases pierce and makes him blush a lot. :D talk abt a twist, man!**_

_**i had asked during chap 10, whom shud i pair with pierce, scylasama u suggested gwen! :D thnx tho, but i had to intro a OC guy here; gwen doesnt seem to fit in with pierce in this story does she?**_

_**a bonus news for you all; bevin smex serving soon! :D**_


	27. A missing part of me has returned

**_Ok wow! another chapter on time! :D ok, this ones a filler for the firework thts gonna come up in the next one, heheheeh... oops never mind. im just an idiotic author blabbering stuff, no biggie! :P_**

**_hope u guys are liking this story so far! im open to writing-tips frm teh experienced readers! pls review! worth its weight in gold! _**

**_ooh and thnx, stuffedtoycuddler for liking Spike!_**

**_warning: this is boys love also called yaoi, so u mite wanna make sure u knw wht ure reading!_**

**_disclaimer: i donot for the life of me own the ben ten alien force franchise or series or anythng! all i do own is just this story tht i SO want ppl to read! :D_**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_Chapter twenty seven : A missing part of me has returned_**

They all stood there in the lobby, talking and laughing, waiting for Max to bring out the Omnitrix.

"I didn't actually _miss_ the whole thing, did I?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow. Spike was talking about the handing-over of the Omnitrix to Ben.

Pierce shook his head, confirming, "No you're in luck, Max got a little held up that's all, he'll be here soon."

"Ok," Spike eyed the taller, tanned teenager. With a smirk, he looked around to see that the rest of them all were occupied in their own conversations, so he slyly slipped closer to Pierce's side. The Leader (who was gazing down at his Plumber's Badge) jumped when he felt hot breath blow onto the side of his face. Turning, he was suddenly caught in a kiss.

Pierce was not the romantic kind; he was always serious and focused on a particular thing. It was a good quality of his personality, but it had its effects on him. Spike was the best thing that happened to him, because he seemed to be able to get Pierce to relax and enjoy life for once without always looking so dead-serious.

Pierce smiled into the lip-lock. He remembered the first time he kissed Spike, which had happened two days ago, he had frozen to a statue of shock; but a fire of wild lust had melted him into a strong, dominant male. Ever since that, he was comfortable with Spike. Although he had to admit, each time he kissed this guy, it was like a totally new experience; thrilling and beautiful.

Spike grinned maliciously, licking his lips as he pulled back, enjoying the helpless and ecstasic look on the Leader's face, which stayed for maybe two seconds before dissolving into his mature expression.

"What're you staring at?!" Pierce demanded, trying to sound unfazed by the kiss, but his glowing red cheeks said otherwise. Well, evidently, his blushing had an uncontrollable quality, mismatching his masculine character.

"You _really_ love it when I smooch you, dontchya?" Spike winked at him. Pierce knew denying that was going to turn Spike on, (Pierce's experience from last night. Oh, he's still a virgin though) so, he hummed with a half-smile-half-frown.

Spike hooked an arm around his boyfriend's shoulder and grinned, "Hey, Ben's really cute. Makes sense why you had a crush on him."

Pierce sighed in frustration, "Why doesn't anybody get it?! I _didn't_ have a crush on him! It's called admiration! He's Max's grandson and I can see a lot of Max in Ben. And you _know_ how I look up to Max, right?"

Spike nodded, but he grinned the next moment as well. Pierce sighed again; he knew Spike understood, but _everybody_ loved teasing the poor leader.

There was sudden commotion from the yonder group, making the two guys turn.

Max had arrived!

Ben was quickly surrounded by the members of the Plumbers Kids team, his cousin, his ex-girlfriend-now-buddy, and his beloved boyfriend. Doctor Sands and Doctor Stacy were among the group too. They all watched Max walk to them, with a small box made of glass tinted with black. There were circular green LED lights on it.

Max stood in front of his grandson, beaming, "Ben, you know what's in this, right?!"

"Oh, don't I _EVER_!" Ben moaned happily, tension and joy all mixed and spread across his adorable but determined face.

Max smiled, and then turned to nod at Kevin, who gave him a thumbs up. They all turned to the raven. Kevin pulled out his Plumbers Badge and a few clicks later, he grinned, "Look who's popped in to watch the inauguration, y'all!"

A hologram of Azmuth appeared, floating above the Badge that lay on Kevin's palm. The small, aged Galvan looked over his shoulder, and peered through vertically narrow eyes at the raven, "Are you always this disrespectful, Levin?!"

"Eh, suck it," Kevin shrugged. The Galvan decided _not_ to ask what that meant.

Turning to the brunette who tried to not snicker, Azmuth spoke, "Ben Tennyson!" his flat voice clear and sharp, "I have been frequently updated with your developments, courtesy Max Tennyson here." In reply, the old Tennyson bowed respectfully. "So," the Galvan turned back to Ben, his thins arms folded behind him as always, "I know you are well and rid of that nuisance of a virus. Let us get on with the handing over of my precious hard work to its semi-obnoxious but rightfully responsible wielder."

Ben did not even _feel _insulted. If anything, it was way better than what Azmuth usually says. Ben beamed proudly at himself.

Large, aged, holographic Galvan eyes met Max's, who nodded and they all watched the experienced Plumber's fingers press the topmost green circular button on the box. A dot of neon green light ran around and around the circle, till the whole circumference turned an acid green. A buzz and a click later, the box started to open up, segment-by-segment, a very beautiful sight to behold.

The box had shrunken to a tiny plate on Max's palm. And sitting majestically on it was the gadget itself. The concentration of the powers of the Universe, all in one single, snazzy black-and-green wrist accessory; glowing in its symbolic aura of power, responsibility and hero-ship, as the harbinger of peace in the cosmos.

The Omnitrix.

Ben's eyes almost moistened at the sight of it; it was almost second skin to him. The green optics eagerly gazed at the green-and-black gadget, sitting glum and shiny on Max's palm. It seemed to lack something, a presence to define it. After all, without a weilder, it was only a piece of shiny metal with DNA samples.

"Hey, it looks like it misses you!" Max grinned. Ben returned the grin with an adorable version of his own. For a second, even Azmuth's heart mellowed. But only for a second though; the elder's heart was like a finicky rat-trap.

Max stepped forward, the group gazing with wide eyes and held breaths; it was like the unveiling of something grand and greatly expected. Which it was. For there was nothing more beautiful than a hero reuniting with his beloved sword.

Max held the Omnitrix with one hand, handing the box-turned-plate to Gwen who was to his immediate right. She took it from him and watched as Max steadied the watch properly.

"Your hand, my valiant knight," Max smiled. Ben almost trembled in excitement as he extended out his left hand, fist balled.

The crowd of twelve held their breath. Max held the watch above Ben's wrist and smiled wider as he descended the gadget onto the fair skin. Immediately he let go, for the tech came to life the second its metal underside licked the fair skin; its lights blinking, dials spinning, gears whirring and clicking to place, software identifying the DNA of the wielder, its locks clasping tight around the wrist as if to never let go.

The group burst into thunderous claps of congratulations, the doctors beaming at each other while clapping, Max joining them, while Azmuth's hologram smiled appreciatively. Kevin (who could not actually clap lest drop the Badge with the Galvan's hologram and get on Azmuth's bad side) smiled on too, proud and curious to see the glow on the brunette's face.

Ben on the other hand, closed his eyes, his face displaying euphoric ecstasy. He felt it; the seductive surge of power, the gadget's software binding deep into his being, the warm energy of the several alien DNAs returning to him as if he had regained a lost sibling. A part of him, returned to its rightful place. Ben felt the accessory's presence knock him into a blank state of satisfaction, he felt rejuvenated and complete, the purpose of his life clicking into place. His existence finally complete, like finishing a picture that had missed a jigsaw piece.

Opening his eyes, he saw them all observing him with wide, curious irises themsleves; even Kevin was blinking at him in concern. He smiled at them all, the fire of heroism was back in his green toxic eyes. It made them all grin wide in synchronisation.

_Beep Beep!_

Max looked at his own Badge that beeped for attention, and then looked up, informing them all, "Uh, oh; DNAliens are at it again, this time, its looks nasty!"

As if on cue, they all turned to look at Ben.

Ben's tongue itched to say _it_; but he doubted for some unfathomable reason. Maybe there was a tiny, nervous part of him suddenly so unsure whether he was ready yet. His eyes fell on Kevin who seemed to have read his thoughts. Kevin _always_ knew what he was thinking. And now, the raven's face nodded in encouragement, his caramel eyes speaking:

_Say it, Tennyson!_

Ben beamed in renewed determination. Taking a deep breath, he punched his balled fist, with its Omnitrix, into the air.

"_ITS HERO TIME!_"

o.o.o

Ah, blissful satisfaction. Tiring, but blissful.

It was late night, but the Plumbers group and the rest had burst into action the moment they heard Ben's war cry. It was not much of a dangerous fight though; they managed to defeat the bunch of irritating aliens. A fairly good inaugration of Ben's return to hero-work. It could be that the cooperative effort of them all that made the fight easier. Or the new zest of Ben's normal ass-kicking was making Ben almost flawless. Max was extremely proud.

By the time they were done, the toll of the night was on them. However, the five who had been to space were not as tired, for they had good sleep (although in irregular times) from the Alex-Hepha, so the Plumbers team decided to hit the sack, after bidding farewell to the five.

Max stayed behind at the Secret Plumbers Base, for he had to contact the HQ and find out how the raid on the XX4 went. Hence, Kevin, Ben, Gwen and Julie climbed tiredly into the green camero brought in by the Plumbers Kids, and the raven drove away into the night.

Dropping Gwen and Julie at the former's place, Kevin drove for his home, with a sleeping Ben in the passenger seat. Kevin smiled contently to see Ben's face with a happy smile that ghosted over his full lips even as he slept, dreaming of sweet nothing; while the Omnitrix would have looked smugly pleased if it had a face, to be back on the slim wrist.

- End of Chapter -

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**_Oh wow! finally done! :D ! bens back in action! ddryeaah! :D (fist pump)_**

**_And now... (rubbing hands together evilly) ... the next chappie!_ **


	28. Melding as one

**_This is it ppl! :D my first ever written sex scene! uuwaaaa! i tried, and its not neccesssary i shud succeed. heh. i hope its ok!_**

**_dedicated to stuffedtoycuddler whos been begging and begging for smex! :P_**

**_Warning: this story, especially this chapter, contains extremely explicit yaoi or boys love and sex. uve been warned! M rated chappie!_**

**_disclaimer: i do not own ben ten alien force._**

* * *

**ITS A WILD LIFE**

_**Chapter twenty eight: Melding as one**_

The green car came to a stop in the black of the night, after having slipped snugly into Kevin's garage. Shutting off the whirring engine to sleep, Kevin climbed out of the vehicle, walking around to the passenger side of it. He smiled sweetly, seeing Ben slumber with is head leaning against the window. He was careful to scoop up his beloved ever so gently, so as not to wake him. Shutting the door with his foot, Kevin carried Ben bridal style, to the front door, managing to unlock the door whilst still holding on to Ben.

Stepping in and closing the door, (again by using his foot for what should be have been done by his hand) he gently placed Ben on to the couch, planting a kiss on the soft skin of his forehead. "I'm gonna straight out the room, ok?" he whispered at the sleeping teen, who mumbled something in his sleep.

Shaking his head, Kevin smiled as he went upstairs, making sure that the bedroom was in a decent shape to be slept in. (It took Kevin only a few minutes, because before leaving for space, Gwen and Julie had cast their feminine ingenuity of cleanliness into the bedroom.) Smirking, Kevin walked down the stairs.

Kevin picked Ben up from the couch and took him upstairs; if he was going to sleep his exhaustion away, at least he should do so comfortably.

Gently laying Ben on his bed, Kevin stood back, his eyes surveying the slim form sleeping peacefully after the exhaustive journeying, vigorous partying, and exhilarating unison with the Omnitrix.

Unable to hold back, he leaned in carefully and pressed his lips to the full ones that moved as the small chest breathed. Even in his sleep, Ben smiled at the familiar feeling, kissing Kevin back absent-mindedly. Kevin held back the urge to deepen his lip-lock; for if Ben needed rest, he wanted to give him rest. Pulling back almost reluctantly, Kevin straightened up; and when he was feeling a burn grow in his lower regions, he turned away. It was the first proper intimate time they were alone since the cleansing of the virus, so no wonder he felt aroused. But he didn't want to force it on Ben, so he shunned any dirty thoughts.

He walked over to the large bean bag and flopped down on it. Folding his hands behind his head, he snuggled in comfortably and closed his eyes.

Half an hour passed since Kevin dozed. Kevin felt warm breath tickle him across his face. Opening his eyes that first thing he saw were large emerald disks with their dark pupils staring intently at him.

"Whu?!" Kevin exclaimed sitting up on his elbows in surprise.

Ben, who had been staring right into his face, sat back as well, smiling ever so gently. Kevin looked around and realised that he was now on _the bed_, and not the bean bag. Ben seemed to have an explanation for that.

"I woke up a few minutes ago. You were sleeping on the bag all curled up and stiff, so I decided to shift you here. Its comfier."

"_You_ picked _me_ up?!"

"Big Chill did, actually", Ben chuckled. Kevin felt dazed that he had not noticed being raised off the bag and onto the bed. _I guess I really CAN sleep through anything!_

Blinking again, he looked at Ben, "You're not going back to sleep?"

Ben stretched up his hands a little, and then let them fall into his lap with a shrug, "Nah, the small nap was sufficient."

For long moments, they gazed at each other. At such a close proximity, it was magnetising them. Kevin found a flush of joy run through his system, the joy of finally being able to be with Ben without any restrictions. It was repeatedly striking him on the head, the very core of his being had longed for this moment, and to put the long sleepless nights 'dreaming of the untouchable Vulphorous victim' to justice...

"Ben", Kevin whispered, stroking the brunette's cheeks softly as he spoke, "Y'know, it's finally all over. All the drama, the terror, the fights, the running. It's all over. We can go back to our old life now. I'm so fricking glad..."

Ben smiled back, his cheeks flushing as he leaned his face against the palm stroking it, "I am glad too, Kevin. _So_ glad, that I dunno what to _do _to express it..."

Kevin's eyes flashed all of a sudden, and he pulled his face closer to the other, "Maybe there _is _something you can do. Something _WE _can do", his brown eyes were a kaleidoscope of passion, even as his breath came slow and ragged as he whispered icily, "We could finish what we started, several days ago, on a full moon night?"

Ben's eyebrows that were till now creased in curiosity, calmly levelled out in realisation, "_Oh, Kevin_..."

"Unless of course, you're tired and we could do it la-"

"_No; please! Please!_" Ben whimpered loudly, catching Kevin in an embrace around the chest, burying his face in the warmth of the nook of his strong neck, "_Please ...! Take me!_ _By all means!_" he moaned desperately.

A burning ripple took over the raven's spine for a moment, almost rendering him paralysed by the desperate longing dripping from Ben's voice.

There was nothing going to stop them now. No Vulphorous, no bitchy viruses, no shit!

In a single heave, Kevin captured Ben's full lips with his own.

Even though he had hungrily toyed those lips a lot since Ben's cure, the raven could not get enough of him yet. His teeth bit down on Ben's lower lip making Ben gasp gently, leaving enough room for Kevin to slip in his tongue.

"Mnnghh...", calloused fingers rose, fisting the soft brunette hair, holding the head in place as his tongue lapped furiously against the smaller, excited one. Primal need encouraged both to engage in a battle for dominance; the two, hot, humid muscles twisting and tumbling from within the caves of their mouth, their lips almost fused together. They didn't stop until their lungs seared for air.

They only spared a moment or two, and dove back into another feverent kiss; desperate arms winding wherever was available, seized in almost mad desire.

Kevin's lips left the bruised crimson ones to slip along the jaw to the slender neck.

"Ohrrrghh...", Ben's eyes rolled backwards as he cherished the raking of the wet tongue against his skin, which he had missed for oh-so-long. And elicited shiver shot up the small spine as Kevin's teeth found his skin. In a few moments, when Kevin's lips had meandered lower down the neck for a better spot, a hickey was left behind, bluish purple, a reminder that Kevin owned him.

Slowly, Kevin placed a palm on the shirted chest and inclined Ben backwards till he, Kevin, towered over the laying form, on all fours. Not wasting a moment, Kevin caught the hem of the black shirt and tugged it upwards, Ben obligingly raising his arms so that that shirt was fluidly slid off him and thrown aside.

Revealing a vast expanse of creamy skin for him to mark, Kevin could barely think straight as he shoved his face into the middle of the slender clavicles, his tongue tickling the skin. Ben sucked in a gasp, his fingers gripping the dark long hair, keeping Kevin focused on his guilty pleasure.

Kevin inhaled the scent of the skin which he had longed for over the several weeks. His face lowered down the middle of collarbones, guided by his tongue that trailed in a manner that was lazy enough to entice Ben, but quick enough to bear with his own lust. He didn't stop his movement till his lips locked themselves around Ben's left nipple, under which the brunette's heart beat in frantic uneven bursts.

Ben's eyes snapped shut as Kevin assaulted the pink peak on his pectoral muscle, while his torturous hand toyed with the other.

"Mmnnhhh!" moaning and frowning in delicious frustration, Ben squirmed a little, his back arching against the mouth. The large tongue lapped repeatedly at the peak till it disappeared from sight as Kevin lowered his open mouth onto it. Ben let out a lustful growl as Kevin finally removed his wet lips from the toned chest; a half-grin twitching on the raven's breathless face at the reddish patch he had created on the skin.

No one, except him, knew how long he had wanted to do that.

Watching the toned chest heave in the aftermath of his ministration, Kevin felt his sane conscience slip farther and farther away from himself. All he saw was the beautiful body of his beloved spread underneath him; begging to be loved, licked and kissed; with the cherubic face pink in pleasure; lips red and swollen; eyes green and glazed.

"_Ben...you're so beautiful, you're killing me..._" he could only whisper in his grazed husky voice; he experienced that particular feeling, those waves of scorching heat slowly consuming him from his legs and hands to his torso and up his chest and then gnawing at his brain. He was soon going to lose it and go madder than an aroused Vulphorous.

Sitting up, he raised his own hands and pulled off his shirts over his head, flinging them aside as well. He didn't want anything to obstruct the contact between him and the heavenly creature panting for him while beholding his glory of muscles lining his chest and stomach. Kevin could soon take off his pants and boxers too, but that can be done a while later; because for now, he wanted to feel Ben writhe under his expert fingers.

Skin slid on skin, as Kevin lowered himself to kiss Ben again.

Ben's pretty eyelids closed as he savoured the feeling, every fibre of his nerves and muscles were screaming for more.

Thin fingers felt themselves across the chiselled muscles of his beloved's upper body, relishing the feel he had lost for so many days. His fingers then threaded around the strong neck and gripped the dark hair while Kevin released one muscular arm from around Ben and slipped it lower, between their sweating bodies, till his fingers reached the belt of Ben's jeans. Undoing the belt buckle and jeans buttons skilfully with one hand (a task he learnt to wield expertly), he pulled open the zipper till it gaped wide open. Ben's ribcage strained as his lungs expanded at the brush of strong fingers against his cloth-sheathed maleness.

Strong fingers afore mentioned spread slowly above the fabric of Ben's black boxers, teasing the poor brunette who was groaning into the kiss Kevin refused to stop. Ben's back arched, as the raven's fingers ran up and down the sheathed manhood that was starting to rapidly grow in protest. Kevin played this way for a bit, till he found his own mouth watering as Ben's boxers moistened with precum.

With a 'squilsh', Kevin separated his lips from Ben's; both panting in the breathtaking effect it created.

Green eyes glazed in visible pleasure cringed; his knees were trembling as Kevin gripped him gently through his boxers.

A few weeks ago, he had thought that he would never experience this feeling again, but now, it was happening and it got him every time. And after the gap of those excruciating romance-forbidden days of being plagued by the intergalactic virus, this now felt as dramatic as their first time as lovers.

Tipping back his head, Ben left a wide open area of his neck for Kevin to suck on, while his slim hands reached around the muscular chest and gripped the muscular back with numb fingers, the band of the Omnitrix pressing impressions on the fair skin of Kevin's back.

Ben let out meaningless noises, his heart thumping ceaselessly, his chest inflating against Kevin's, while the later slipped his hand from the front of Ben's boxer to the small of his ass, his fingers now brushing over the two boxer-clad, small, rounds of flesh that had caught Kevin's eye many a times.

Groping that ass was something Kevin did to tease Ben for being so feminine and desirable; but at this moment, the salvation of his masculinity growing in his torso solely depended on the firm buttocks he caressed with spanner-wielding fingers.

The sweat trickling off his neck and down his spine reminded him that he had played enough.

Kevin tugged down at the brunette's now unwanted jeans, and Ben helped kick them off. Hooking a thumb over the waistband of the black boxers, Kevin pulled them down as well; in a single swing the cloth garment slid off the slim legs and disappeared.

Ben now lay bare-naked, sprawled under the shadow of Kevin's large brawny form. Kevin took a moment to look down at him, his brown eyes dark in lust, swept over the blushing, breathless brunette.

"_Kevin..._" Ben could barely speak as his mind skimmed through the effects of a sensuous and impatient burning which soared all over his nude self.

Restraining himself from rape-attacking Ben's now exposed and very-much turned-on maleness, Kevin took a deep breath, exhaled and resumed a kiss to relax Ben (and himself).

Meanwhile, his hands slipped in between them and soon fisted around the shaft of Ben's iron solid penis, which scorched against his palm. Ben let out another hiss and a whimper, as Kevin's hand moved up and down the member.

The younger male felt his hands turn into jelly, slipping from their firm hold around the chiselled chest and falling at his either sides. Using the strength he had left in his arms, he had to be content clenching and unclenching his fists onto the bedspreads while Kevin worked on his genitals with experienced fingers.

Ben's panting came unevenly as the closed palm moved, picking up the rhythm in a quicker pace; the slightly-tanned chest heaved against the sweaty fair muscles of the older male who himself felt washed over in waves of delectable sensuality simply by watching Ben squirm erotically under his grip.

Just when Kevin suspected Ben hardening _almost_ to a point no more, Ben moaned in frustration, _"...I'm...I can't hold...I'm gonna..._" In reply, Kevin slowly let the organ slip off his hand.

The loss of those powerfully tantalising fingers made Ben open his eyes and look dazedly into the caramel orbs soaked in lust.

"Not yet", Kevin's voice came in a hiss that tingled against Ben's ear, making him flush more red than he already was.

Pressing his swollen lips to the earlobe, Kevin smiled; his smile came half and twisted because the pits of his stomach were on fire and he could barely think properly while a naked Ben was at his full disposal.

Moving his face, he lip-locked Ben again, kissing him briefly before pulling away and swiftly slipping down the neck and chest.

This time, Kevin made all the way lower, he kissed him all over the abdomen, planting every kiss in a way that said 'you are _all mine_', and stopping at the navel just so he could circle it with his tongue. From the several times they had been this intimate, Kevin knew that this was one of Ben's sensitive areas. He stuck his tongue in, and got exactly the same response like last time; Ben gasped and arched his back in a specific manner, with a lusty whimper to match. Kevin had to push him back down gently by the chest in order to continue.

And while he made butterfly kisses on Ben's abdomen, his hand stroked Ben's inner thighs ever so gently, making his knees tremble. Ben's rock hard cock was already pushing up against Kevin's collarbone; it was a matter of few moments before Ben found a warm mouth encase his burning maleness.

Ben screwed his eyes shut tighter; gasps after gasps falling like waterfalls from his lips as Kevin's tongue whirred around and around the head of his penis. Closing his own brown eyes, Kevin continued to assault it all over, it being velvety warm from within his mouth, pulsing with restrained seed.

Ben's body heat flared and it was highest where Kevin's mouth was. Ben flung his face to his right, in frustrated pleasure, fingers curling into the black hair, chest rising and falling like waves in a stormy ocean, hips bucking against the sweet mouth that cupped his penis.

As Kevin mouthed the organ he held with one hand, his free hand crept up like a spider, all the way to the flat chest and further still, till sensually spreading up the long neck and then touching Ben's chin. His long fingers gently ran across Ben's full lower lip and probed themselves in.

Ben was more than willing to let the fingers into his mouth, not that he could resist what with the paralysing ecstasy clutching on his nether regions. The index and middle fingers sashayed with Ben's watery tongue, and the brunette made sure they were well-treated.

As Ben suckled on Kevin's fingers, Kevin in turn sucked on Ben's masculinity.

When the bobbing started, Ben went temporarily blind, only a white flash tore through his eyes as he moaned and groaned, biting onto Kevin's fingers and then his mouth went wide open to pant, drool dripping over the corners. And the noises Ben made only fed Kevin with more energy to pace faster, his silken long hair spilling all around the pelvis of the brunette's slim feminine waist.

Ben folded up both his splayed legs, planting his feet on the bed. His knees rose on either sides of Kevin's face, like mountains. If anything, this helped Kevin perform his task easier.

It was a matter of few moments and Ben felt himself ready to burst. It was that odd feeling, like blowing a balloon to its limit and still blowing it even though you know it's about to burst any moment. That spiking feeling of knowing what's coming; the thundering scream of peak euphoria. And that very same feeling was filling up inside Ben, he held back his release as much as his slender body could, panting and gasping against Kevin's fingers that twirled in his mouth; all the while writhing and arching his chest, curling his toes till the soles of his feet went yellow, all till he could no more.

He couldn't hold any more.

"_Ahhhh-hhhhh...!_" Ben bucked spasmic against Kevin's mouth and came altogether.

For a few moments, everything stopped for Ben. He was struck by the white lightning blinding his sight and numbing his mind. He felt as if his brain had dissolved and his body had become a boneless wad of rubber burning in delicious heat.

His slim hands fell limp at his either sides, his abdomen heaving helplessly to take in as much air as the tired lungs could.

Sweat-slicked skin flushed a pleasant pinkish red, while pupils constricted to a dot simply stared at the ceiling, dribbling mouth loosely clasped Kevin's fingers.

Ben's vision was wiped out, but in a few moments as his trembling tight body lapsed into a calmer state, he blinked, the ceiling was blurry and zooming in and out of focus. And then he saw a face ... two faces; zipping sideways into each other. With dark hair, brown eyes.

Ben blinked again, and the two blurry faces merged and cleared, to reveal it was Kevin who was now looking down at him with his sparkling lust glazed eyes, hair damp around the forehead with sweat, lips smiling gently, the corners of his mouth dripping in creamy white liquid.

Ben noticed some of his semen trickling down the muscular pectorals. Kevin pulled out his soaked fingers from Ben's lips, whilst wiping his own mouth with the back of his free hand. Leaning over to the brunette's frozen face, he whispered, "The look on your face...so fucking hot; ... Did you black out?"

Ben half-moaned, half-sighed, "Almost..." blinking repeatedly to clear the fog in his eyes and the dull pounding in his head.

Kevin smiled gently, pushing his mouth against Ben's for a brief kiss. Moaning into the kiss, his tongue weakly frolicked with Kevin's, stirring with their saliva and his seed almost indistinguishable from it. He could feel the hardened hot bulge in Kevin's jeans press against his now wilted cock.

When his hands regained their strength, Ben raised them to tangle his fingers in the semi-damp raven hair, nails running sensually through the scalp as they kissed. Meanwhile, humming into the smaller mouth, Kevin gathered Ben's waist towards him, the two drool-coated fingers slipping down the sides of the abdomen and around the body, to the firm cherubic derriere.

Ben's eyes shot open and he growled, into the raven's mouth, in lustful agreement when the slick fingers touched him in the orifice.

Kevin pulled his lips away from Ben and sat back on his haunches. He caught hold of Ben's waist with his free hand and spoke in his grazed voice, "Flip over," and Ben obeyed, rolling on to his tummy, exposing his smooth back with the light delicious tan.

Blushing into the sheets he waited but Kevin wasn't moving; his eyes simply swept up and down the beautiful bareness that was his love.

"You gonna...uh..._stare _all...day...?..." Ben moaned crossly as Kevin's fingers ran soft feathery strokes on the rotund muscles; immediately making Ben's mind go into mush again.

The raven smiled, "Sorry. I'll get to_ work,_ ma'am..."

Ben frowned into the pillow, but he couldn't stay cross when large hand hoisted his petite waist gently and folded his slim legs in a kneeling position. Ben's forehead, still pressed on the pillow, went hot as he gripped the sheets; he was feeling vulnerable and extremely kinky. And his wilted maleness that hung between his kneeling legs was starting to wake again.

Kevin's right hand slid gently over Ben's general anal area, evoking a preliminary arousal. Leaning forward, pressing his chiselled pecs on Ben's spine, he stroked Ben's chest with his left hand, while kissing the neck as well. One slick finger roamed around his orifice before pausing and slipping in.

Ben squirmed again, Kevin's powerful arm held him around the chest for support.

One by one, moans and groans fell from Ben's lips, the combined effect of the fingers on his nipples and on his bottom was making him breathless.

Tidal waves of burning heat swept over Ben again, it bit down on his skin, every nerve in his body frayed and screamed when Kevin's finger pumped in and out in a pace that did not hurt him, opening him little by little. Soon, the second finger joined in, and Ben gasped heavily, adjusting to the scissoring feeling he hadn't felt in weeks. And then the third finger joined the two.

Kevin gently bit down on Ben's shoulder, keeping him still as he thrust his fingers in and out, picking up the pace as carefully as he could, mentally fighting to tame his own torturous lust setting his nether regions on fire.

Licking his lips that were starting to drool, Kevin pressed himself lovingly against Ben's spine and he thrust his fingers repeatedly, each time Ben fed his ears with delicious seizing moans, his cheek pressed into the pillow.

After some time, Kevin gave one rather rough push, and Ben responded by throwing back his head over Kevin's shoulder and groaning marvellously from his guts. Kevin's chest heaved; he had found the prostate.

Kevin pressed his lips to Ben's cheek red in deep excitement, trying to calm the younger male, while his one hand fondled Ben's chest, and the other thrust again, gently brushing the sweet spot for the second time. Ben reacted with another seized gasp; the touch sent electric sparks screeching up his body, alarms ringing madly in his head. Kevin continued slowly pushing in and out against the particular bundle of extremely sensitive nerves, till Ben's frustrated groans smoothened into sensual purring.

Ben was sweating himself into drips, while Kevin's perspiration trickling down his bent spine and into the waistband of his jeans. Faster and faster Kevin rammed gently against the prostate, ravenous pleasure collecting inside Ben. He could feel himself resuming an erection.

The fingers suddenly stopped.

Ben, panting audibly, opened his eyes again, looking over his shoulder for an explanation.

Kevin whispered into his ear, "I can't really hold back no more... "

In reply, Ben whimpered, "Then don't, please, I can't either...! Shove yourself,.. ngh... in...!" Ben knew what he was saying, as he gripped onto the sheets. He _wanted_ to be taken, a ravaging madness growling inside him for Kevin. He was desperate, it was making his breath ragged and his being quake.

It was the very sight of Ben struggling and begging for him, and sounding so wanting, yearning and eager, that did it. It tore apart any sense of barrier that dammed Kevin's insanity.

Almost growling in reply, Kevin gripped Ben's torso and flipped him back, so that they were now facing each other. Their eyes mirrored the fire of impatience. This was it, the days of lusting that had built up in them like a climax, it was all concentrated to this moment, this was what they've been waiting for.

Ben did not even notice Kevin take off his jeans and boxers; either he was too fast, or Ben was too slow to observe. But either way, both were now skin-to-skin, unclothed to the flesh.

Breathing each other's names as if their lungs needed it as much as it needed air, they kissed. Powerful arms lined with beautiful muscles rose to fold the slim legs over the raven's shoulders.

Sucking in a deep breath, Kevin let the precum-slicked head of his penis align itself and push against Ben's orifice. Since Ben had been prepared a few moments ago courtesy Kevin's fingers, he was more than willing.

A drop of sweat rolled off the temple of the older male, and the next moment, two collective long gasps escaped two lips when the burning rod of muscles pushed itself into Ben's cavity, inch-by-inch, delving deeper.

Although Ben was relaxed, there was that sweet tightness that clasped Kevin's dick, almost in similarity to the way Ben's arms gripped him around the neck. The feel of being enveloped in the wet, heated cavern of Ben's insides which he had never stopped longing for. And it was like he was wasted; this feeling of filling Ben with himself, it was a rush, a drunkenness.

Although it was only that nether part of him that fit snugly into Ben's ass, it was like his entire body was wrapped in a smoldering heat. Wincing in the searing pleasure it brought, Kevin blew out a puff of warm air, breathing through his teeth, peering at Ben who looked as wasted as he was. The air between them was moist as they panted hot air.

Sweat slicked bodies remained frozen for a moment, till Kevin began his thrusts.

"Mngh!" Ben moaned, holding on to the fair shoulders, while Kevin supported himself on his elbows, fists balling as he thrust further, slow and genteel, enjoying every millisecond of the sweet friction.

"Ah...nnhhhaaa..." Ben's orifice stretched as more of the naturally lubricated shaft invited itself in. He fidgeted at first, but a moment or so later he actually bucked slow against Kevin, confirming that he had adjusted to it well.

Grunting to tame his waist that wanted to bang into Ben mercilessly, Kevin moved in even, long-drawn thrusts, making sure Ben was enjoying this as much as he was, their open mouths emitting puffs of moistened air.

Muscles worked relentlessly as the thrusts grew more in number but remained in the same pace.

Their names tumbled from each other's lips in feverent murmurs; the mildly tanned skin of the brunette and the fairly pale skin of the raven, both glistening in the thin coat of perspiration washing over them.

Their hair clung in several clumps upon their heads as if they had just showered.

Kevin humped further, picking up the pace. The soft friction was now starting to burn through; Kevin found his entire length (buried in Ben's fleshy insides) choke as Ben's bottom clenched in excitement. Pausing a moment, Kevin moaned, "Ooohhh! R-relax, you're too tight again!"

Ben paused, and nodded; even as a trail of sweat ran along the side of his face, Kevin kissed him in the effort to help Ben unclench. Soon, Ben was melting into calmness, Kevin resumed his thrusts; heavy, and medium in pace.

The abdomens of the two lovers slid over each other as they thrust further and further; Kevin wasn't the only one putting in the effort. Ben was pushing against him too, making it easier to slip Kevin's length further in.

Kevin closed his eyes for a moment; marvelling the feeling that Ben's insides seemed to be sucking his cock in, like a vaccum. The deeper he went the more he wanted to stay in. Again, he gave a thrust, it ignited something within both of them.

Until his eyes opened again, now spitting fire.

Desperation. That was what inflamed inside of them. The desperate longing of their souls spoken in sexual height.

Seized in a maddening craze, Kevin gave a rough and rather hard thump into Ben. Rather than hurt Ben, it set him on fire too. Again, Kevin redid his push, Ben reciprocated by bucking himself in the same manner. Again and again, until there was a rhythm born, to which they swept each other into what would soon lead to ecstacy.

Muscles tightened and worked hard as they pushed and pushed, bucking, bucking, panting, panting, moaning, moaning. Height of unstoppable flames soared inside them, burning every inch of their beings. Their long drawn thrusts started to pick up pace, grunts and groans starting to go from low and sensuous to louder and with more feeling.

"Ohhhhhh... faster!" Ben ranted, throwing back his head, clenching his eyes. Kevin obeyed almost involuntarily; unable to bear the twisted look on the younger's face. He buried his sweating face onto the shoulder, and thrust stronger and faster as the younger wanted.

_This is ... it feels so good... I would kill for this ..._ Kevin mind wandered in mad circles and zig-zags, unable to form proper rounded thoughts because his brain was clouded and his body ached in delirious pain of effort of working his way to climax.

A few thrusts later, (Kevin's penis was by then completed engulfed inside Ben), at a particular thrust Ben suddenly jerked spasmically and went limp. Kevin looked down at the frozen brunette, whose madly panting chest pressed repeatedly against his, the heart within drummed furiously in speed.

"Again," Ben moaned loudly, "Just there! Again!" He was almost cooing in weak yearning.

Kevin's thin lips twitched maliciously into a smirk of victory. The prostate had revealed itself again. Perfect.

Kevin obliged, "Like this?" and he rammed himself in, biting his lower lip as he watched Ben react erotically. Emerald eyes wide in glazed pleasure, he cooed, "Oh yeah! Again... again..."

It had turned from slow and heavy to maddening. Kevin had lost his brakes, and Ben had lost his senses. Their muscles almost combusted as they banged and banged; gym-trained abs brushing and sliding over the tummy toned from soccer practice.

Kevin released Ben's hands from around his neck and locked fingers with him. The Omnitrix at Ben's wrist seemed to be confused with the gush of powerful hormones and feelings surging through its wielder. The thrusts came faster and stronger.

"Haaah...aahhh!" they panted as they bucked, Kevin's waist slapping heavily against Ben's butt; Kevin could feel his shin tighten in the searing pain of over-use, his hands were cramping, his penis catching on fire within the scorching body-heat that encased it.

Faster and faster, go, go, go! Till their minds were numb and blank and their brains were almost a slushy. Thrust, thrust, thrust till the pain gnawing raw on their muscles translated into delicious spicy pleasure tearing through them like rain. Faster, faster, faster, till the breaths were far too fast to catch and their eyes were blind in flashes on white.

_"Yeaah!_"

Again and again, the head of the swollen penis rammed against the sensitive bundle of nerves, like hammers that shape swords. Each time the piercing peak of euphoria hit Ben and his heartbeat flew of the roof, Kevin owned him. Marking him as his own, for no one else to take.

Screaming and groaning now louder and louder, they thrust their way to climax, not caring that they might wake their neighbours in the dead of the night. Calling and calling each other's names, their pace picked in blinding speed.

Fingers dug into flesh as they grit teeth, muscles clenching as they ran the length of their sexual marathon as further as they could.

Ben finally put himself on the edge of the orgasm, bucking helplessly as he screamed, "_No more! I can't take no more!_"

Kevin hissed, his voice husky, "_I'm gonna..._."

And before either could say anything else, Their bodies lapsed into a strong clench of white hot pleasure when Kevin pushed his final thrust against Ben's abused prostate. The induced orgasm seized the two in its powerful clutches.

_"KEVIN!"_

_"BEN!"_

In a whirl of out-of-control spasms, they came; together. Ben spurt between themselves, all over the two abdomens; while Kevin's hot seed gushed and flooded Ben's insides, filling him to the brim, the burning excess oozing out the rim of the tight sphincter muscle gripping the shaft of Kevin's penis.

Blinding. That was what it was. Blinding.

For a moment, they froze, everything stopped in time and Space. They twitched once or twice, their heads thrown back as they experienced the powerful euphoria.

Strangled gasps later, their eyes opened slowly, Kevin's entire body screamed in aching pain. He could only moan weakly as he fell limp over the smaller frame, his muscles clicking and hissing in the exhaustive relaxation that swept through him.

Panting, for a few minutes, they lay quietly listening to the racing hearts within their ribs, from the aftermath.

Gulping in air, some of Kevin's senses seeped back into his brain. He immediately remembered that he was twice heavier than Ben, and he would obviously crush him at this state. Therefore, he took a lot of effort to slowly pull out his spent dick, and make his stubbornly-tired body to roll aside and fall beside Ben, to his left, on the bed.

Ben appreciated the gesture, for (as much as he loved Kevin lay on top of him) he was feeling suffocated due to the great work his starved lungs had to do, coping with the madly beating heart; and the heavy body of iron strong muscle pressing down on him was not contributing to the work.

Laying side-by-side, staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes, dilated pupils and open mouths; panting chests smeared and dirtied with semen, naked to the skin; they basked in the afterglow of glorious sex.

Kevin's grazed voice spoke, eyes wide, "I think I just blew my brains out... ."

"Touche", Ben agreed, just as shocked.

Silence slowly focused into the air, mingling with steadier heartbeats, along with slower and low breathing of calming lungs.

They stared blankly at the ceiling of the bedroom, their mind taking its time to settle and regain its sharp teen-ness. Their frayed nerves were recovering. Kevin wilted and spent maleness pulsed, as did Ben's poor ass burnt.

"Hey, Ben?" Kevin voice, now smoother and nasal as it usually was.

"Yeah?" Ben spoke softly, continuing to gaze at nothing.

"I love you..."

Ben turned to his left, and saw that Kevin had rolled to his side and was looking straight at him with those hypnotic chocolate eyes, unblinking. Clumps of wet black hair obstructed a little of the eyes. Ben rolled on his left side (while groaning at his stiff, over-worked body) facing the handsome raven.

Putting out a hand, Ben brushed aside the locks of black, so that he could look at both eyes properly. Tracing the seams of Kevin's lower lip with his fingertips, Ben mused sweetly, "I love you, too."

"You better! Your ass is now back to being mine," Kevin smirked smugly, his tongue flicking out his mouth to run over Ben's fingertips.

"It was still yours all the while, idiot!" Ben grinned back, pulling away the fingers and replacing them with his full lips.

"Hmmmnn," Kevin smiled happily as Ben's fleshy lips pecked him. A stiff but working arm of the raven rose and curled around the petite waist, pulling Ben closer.

The night air was beautifully cool, licking over their bodies washed inside out with their own body-heat. Their eyelids drooped as the late hour took its toll on them.

The lovers had inaugurated their restarted romance.

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_OMG! O_O ! i finally did it! a sex scene in detail! it was awkward and weird, but atleast its smthng rite?! oh wow, its flawed but i hope u reviewrs are nyc on me; im still a learning newbie in porn-writing!_**

**_actually, i dont do Porn Without Plot; im more of a Plot for the Porn, if u knw wht i mean! :D_**

**_anyway, i hope u guys and girls liked it! :P im open to improvments! luv u all! UvU_**

**_peace out! :3_**


	29. Back to normal or is it?

**_hello again! :D ! heres just a smaller chapter to let you know im not dead, and the storys not dead either!_**

**_possibly you can call this a bridge chapter to even things out before it gets freaky in the next chapter. special shout out to hotxhotguy; your wish is gonna come true darling! bwahahahhaha... (cough cough) srry._**

**_Warning: this story contains yaoi or boys love. pls watch your step! :D_**

**_disclaimer: i do not own ben ten alien force._**

* * *

**ITS A WILD LIFE**

**_Chapter twenty nine: Back to normal...or is it?_**

Gwen and Julie beamed as they put the plates of pancakes on the table. They were nice enough to drop in with breakfast, owing to Gwen's understanding that neither of the boys would have got up to make breakfast anyway.

"I actually slept well! Despite the partying and the fighting!" Julie smiled as she placed the jug of syrup in place. Gwen nodded in agreement, "Yeah, me too. But it's a tough break for the guys, so I guess they're sleeping their asses off. What time is it again?"

Julie looked over her shoulder at the snazzy black clock that hung on the wall of Kevin's home.

"Nine thirty two, a.m!" she grinned, "Talk about a late breakfast!"

Gwen laughed, "Ha! For them, as long as its food, it doesn't matter what time it is! Shall we wait a few more minutes before we wake them up?"

"Ok!"

So the girls, (who were here because they had the spare key to Kevin's home for the time being) arranged the food on the table. Gwen had been pouring orange juice into the two glasses when she heard shuffling of feet, more like dragging of feet, from upstairs.

The two looked up, to see a figure walk down the stairs, yawning and rubbing one eye. Dressed in nothing but a bed sheet.

"Uh... good morning, Kevin," Julie raised an eyebrow at the attire of the descending raven. His hair was all tousled and messy. Giving out another yawn, he ran his fingers through the locks, brushing them out of his eyes.

When he reached the foot of the stairs, he blinked sleepily at the scene at the table.

"Oh, hey girls, didn't expect you two here,... what's all that?" he spoke slurred; hands on his hips in confusion. He didn't even mind the fact that all he wore was that bed sheet, like a gown around his low waist. Glorious upper body bare to be stared at, while his lower half was hidden in the folds of white, with one shin visible.

"Its breakfast!" Gwen and Julie sang cheerfully. The red-head continued to explain, "We thought you guys needed some rest, and since we were all perked up, we decided to treat you to a once-only service!"

Kevin blinked again. "Gee, girls, that's kinda sweet of y'all..." smugly smiling at them. He yawned again as the two female eyes ran all over him in suspicion.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna take a shower. As much as I hate to wash Ben offa me..." he smirked at the floor, as he turned and walked back up the stairs.

"Do you think they...?" Julie whispered aside to her best friend. Gwen opened her mouth to say that she wasn't sure because it was too soon, until...

Kevin's voice mumbled from upstairs, "Ow, I think I broke my back last night."

Gwen sighed, rolling her green eyes. "Yeah; they did _it_."

There came the sound of the bathroom door opening and then closing with a click of a lock.

o.o.o

Ben and Kevin sat happily at the table. The girls served them lovingly, and sat down as well. A second helping wouldn't be so bad.

Ben beamed down at the pancakes with the dollop of syrup oozing across its surface and down the edges. He had been denied pancakes when he was a Vulphorous, because it brought him memories of Kevin. But now, it was all at his happy reach.

Forking a big piece, Ben stuffed his mouth and chomped away like a two year old, oblivious to the stares of his boyfriend, his cousin and his ex. Not that they were worried, for they knew it was a sweet come-back for Ben. He will be wolfing it all day for all they care!

"So... you guys had fun last night, huh?" Gwen asked icily, her green eyes narrowed and her full lips smirking as she elegantly cut an apple for herself and Julie.

Kevin looked at the female Tennyson, he knew the question was directed more at him than at Ben (who was too busy eating to pay attention anyway) so he decided to reply.

"You bet," Kevin grinned shamelessly, "We went all out and we were so turned and so-"

"No details; not now, over food," Gwen raised a hand while her face looked sick. Ben chuckled and laughed, nearly choking on the pancakes, ending up in Julie handing him his glass of juice in panic and Kevin thumping his beloved on the small of his spine. Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Ok, not that I'm surprised that you guys did it, but I mean you guys just got here last night!"

"Desperation has its toll, Gwen dear," Kevin grinned smugly as he poured some more syrup on his stack of disk-like pancakes, "You'll know all about how that feels, when you fall in love some day."

Gwen grumbled and looked away. Kevin thought he heard something along the lines of 'relationship', 'idiot', 'girl', 'know better'.

Julie was always good at lightening the mood. She happily chattered about how they all could pamper Ben today, spoil him to the core for only one day, to make up for all the restrictions and marred happiness he suffered as a Vulphorous. Kevin only joined the plan eagerly, and when no one noticed, he added a sneaky grin.

Probably the great day started with Kevin ordering a smoothie each of almost every flavour under the Mr. Smoothie's making. Ben nearly fainted in joy. And then the four went out to the amusement park and made sure Ben had his fill of whatever he wanted to eat, and throw up while going on whatever ride he wanted to ride. (Kevin had murmured to Ben that 'you'll be _ridden on_ by the night, so you oughta enjoy your rides while it lasts'. Ben only blushed beet red with a grin.)

By evening, they had a long marathon of the scariest movies in Kevin's DVD collection, followed by long gaming sessions that even the girls could participate in. By the time it was dark, the girls left leaving Ben and Kevin alone to their own little, dirty world.

o.o.o

"MOM! DAD!" Ben jumping in delight greeted his parents with open arms.

Ben, Max, Kevin, Gwen and Julie had accompanied Gwen's parents and her brother to pick up Sandra and Carl from the airport. After their family meeting, it seems the two adults were tired, but happy.

Sandra gripped her only son in a tight, bone-crushing embrace that spoke more than her rants, "Oh, my baby! So happy to see you again! Did you miss mommy?"

"Mom! Whatever happened to 'call me Sandra'?! You're embarrassing me..." Ben blushed, looking over his mom's shoulder to see his cousins and friends snickering with grins. Ben smiled to himself, holding him mom lovingly.

Sandra pulled back, and beamed happily at him, kissing him on the forehead, "Oh, I am so sorry, but I really was worried whether you were alright. But since you had company I was somewhat consoled. Did you have a good time? Did you trouble Max too much? Or Gwen?"

She turned to greet the rest, while Carl bestowed his son with a more friendly (and less strangling) bear hug.

Ben sighed. _Good time? Mine's a wild life, mom. But I always have a good time too. Only problem is that there are bad times as well. But I guess that's life._

"C'mon, Tennyson, you gonna stand there all day?!" Kevin called out. Ben blinked out of his trailing thoughts and laughed, "Sorry, yeah, wait up!"

Kevin smiled as he gestured Ben to hurry up. The rest of them were still chatting, Ken was loading the luggage into the green Camero's trunk.

Around Sandra and Carl, Ben and Kevin were just best friends or even frenemies. The ydid not want to let a single action from their part to give away their secret affair. And having lived so long with the hero-secret, this was not a big ordeal.

Ben only smiled as Kevin smacked him friendly on the shoulder to get in the car. If neither of Ben's parents were present, Kevin would have hoisted Ben on to the hood and kissed him into getting in the car.

It was a wonder that ten people could fit snugly and comfortably in the car. But considering this was _Kevin's_ car, it was idiotic to wonder. The technology he possessed helped him expand the space of the back seats, without making the car look big from outside. (Very much like how he had created a room for the girls in his home when Ben had been a Vulphorous.) It did catch the attention of curious passerby or two, who noticed eight people climb into the back seats like clowns into a tiny clown car.

But who really pays attention, right?

As the eight chatted away, Ben and Kevin in the front grinned as the raven drove the car out of the airport parking space and towards the unused Tennyson home.

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_uwaa too small chappie :( _**

**_but haha :D onto the next chapter soon! i hope! :D_**

**_pls review!_**

**_peace out! :3_**


	30. Two hearts beat as one

**_:D the big THREE-OH! :D wow! i cant believe im in the thirtieth chapter! thnk you all for supporting this story! _**

**_(yeah i go nuts over ten and ten's multiples! it a regal and powerful number to me. :P i know, i know, im weird, i get that, lets move on... :D)_**

**_and the world was supposed to end on 21st Dec of 2012... oh wait that was a few hours ago! :P mmmeh! so much for teh mayan calender :P_**

**_Warning : this story contains yaoi. boys love and recently smex. i think you noticed? yeah.._**

**_disclaimer : i do not own ben ten alien force!_**

* * *

**ITS A WILDLIFE**

**_Chapter thirty (!) : Two hearts beat as one_**

Kevin frowned in displeasure. He stood akimbo and rolled his eyes, "Good God, Ben, what the _hell_ is up with you?!"

Ben straightened up, his face teary, "Don't be so mean, Kevin... - umph!" he slapped his filled mouth and returned to regurgitating into the toilet bowl. Gwen and Julie sighed, as the red-head patted his back, Julie grabbed a tissue for him.

Kevin rolled his eyes again, rubbing his temples, "So, lemme get this straight; you _ate_ something from your room?"

After Sandra and Carl had returned from their family meeting, Ben was supposed to move back into his home from Kevin's. But the two Tennyson adults reluctantly let Ben to continue to stay in Kevin's home, because (as much as they loved him and wanted to be with him) two of their cousins were coming over and they were going to stay for two weeks. Ben had no love for either of the two snobby relatives and had adamantly denied to live under the same roof as them. But being the jolly and flexible couple of the Tennyson family line, Sandra and Carl could not back out from their promise to the two relatives. So Ben asked if he could stay at Kevin's till the two relatives left, and he was delighted when the defeated parents mumbled a 'yes'.

However, Sandra had vehemently added that he would have to visit the Tennyson home at least once a day so that they don't feel they were alienating him.

It had been a week since this arrangement. And Ben had managed to keep away from the relatives. It was his luck that the two adults were awed with Bellwood and constantly wanted to tour the town. It gave Ben time to pop in home and converse with his dad and mom, and even grab a bite or two of his mom's cooking (he still loved Kevin's culinary skills) and it was one such day that while spending time in his room, reading a few of his comics that he ate something he found in the room.

And now he was barfing the hell outta his tummy.

"What was it that you ate?" Kevin asked.

Ben wiped his mouth with the tissue he was given as he answered weakly, leaning against the muscular structure of the interrogative youth called 'Kevin'. Ben groaned, "A slice of pizza, I think?"

"When did you buy it? Was it a delivery? Or did you buy the frozen kind? Maybe you didn't heat it well?"

"Uh, I think it was already there in the room since last week..." Ben twiddled his fingers.

Kevin nearly blew his top.

Kevin's eyes were as large as saucers as he gasped in horror, "You ate something that was more than _a week_ old?!"

Ben sniffled sadly as he clung to the black t-shirt of his boyfriend's upper abdomen, "C'mon, I was hungry and it looked ok..."

"_It looked OK?!_ What _the hell_ were you thinking?! Oh my God! It just occurred to me that it musta been there in your room _since_ _the day_ _your parents left for their meeting! _What the FUCK! What if the rotten food reacts with your newly recovering body?! Or with the meds that Doctor Sands asked you to take?!" Kevin gripped his own raven head in fury.

Ben's large green eyes teared-up as he felt guilt pound him on the chest, "I'm sorry," he sniffled as he clung to the taller boy, "I get it, I food-poisoned myself and I'm an idiot. But I was hungry and you know how I get when I'm hungry...nnghhhuummphh - " and he hurled again into the toilet bowl, as Kevin held him around the waist in quick relfex.

While Ben straightened up and Gwen dispels the stench with one of her spells, Kevin looked down at the brunette head leaning against him in grief. He was angry at Ben for being so reckless about his health, but seeing Ben so guilty was not up his pleasantness-alley. Cuddling the slimmer form closer, he mumbled, "Ok, I didn't mean to get you all upset, since your tummy's doing a good job of it. But I am just worried for you, ok?"

Ben nodded, rubbing at his stomach. "I feel hollow."

"That's 'cause I think you threw up everything in there," Kevin sighed. "You feel like puking more? Or is it over?" he whispered softly to him.

Ben mumbled, "I think it's stopped."

"Good, then I'll carry you over to the couch, ok?" Kevin smiled despite the worry gnawing at the back of his mind. Ben only nodded again, and he felt himself being hoisted into comfortable arms that he was used to being in.

Kevin walked out of the bathroom and went up to the couch, setting Ben carefully down. He sat down beside the brunette, hugging him. And he whispered, "Sorry I got snappy there; it's just that we struggled so bad to get things back the way it was and it actually worked, and I don't want you in trouble again, that too with our own hands in it!"

Ben snuggled closer to the powerful body, smiling, "Yeah, I get that. And I'm sorry too. I'll watch what I eat from now on, I promise!"

"Good," Kevin kissed him atop his head, and placed his chin against the soft brown hair.

Gwen and Julie came up to them. Gwen held a glass of water which she offered carefully to Ben. The brunette accepted it and drank it all up, returning the glass to the waiting cousin.

Julie spoke, "You know, it's one week since Ben's last check up with Doctor Sands. And he has his next check up tomorrow. Maybe we could ask him whether anything from that pizza reacted with the meds or not? Or if its food poisoning, in which case we could get his help too."

Kevin nodded, "That's a good idea Julie. I was actually considering that too." He then decided, "Yeah, we'll check with Doctor Sands tomorrow."

Ben gave out a faint yawn as he cuddled closer to Kevin.

o.o.o

Ben, Kevin, Gwen and Julie stood in the lobby. Twiddling their fingers, they waited till Doctor Stacy appeared, smiling, "Ben Tennyson, please come for your check up," before walking into the office the four knew all too well.

Ben and Kevin got up. Giving the girls a high five, Kevin led Ben to Doctor Sands office.

Within, the doctor was as always; calm and composed. Reading a report from his desk. A vision of angelic authority.

The blue eyes lifted and looked at the pair through clean frameless glasses. "Ah, yes, Ben Tennyson and Kevin Levin. Please, have a seat," he gestured to the chairs opposite to him, after mannerly closing the report and placing it aside.

Ben and Kevin took their seats; while the doctor smiled pleasantly at them, lacing his fingers and placing them on the desk. "So, how are you feeling, Ben?"

"Uh..." Ben looked at Kevin in doubt, before turning to the doctor who raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, have there been symptoms of an residual virus...?"

"Uh no," Kevin answered for Ben (who looked tongue tied), "So far he's not given off any Vulphorous vibes."

"I see. Then why does your beloved look pale, Kevin?" the doctor asked calmly with a smile of curiosity.

Kevin blinked at him and spoke , "Uh, Ben ate something nasty yesterday, and has barfed a lot, so I suspect food poisoning?"

Doctor Sands looked unreadable for a moment, till an expression of mirth swam in, "Dear Ben, you are careless aren't you?"

"Ehehe,... sorry doc," Ben chuckled, looking down at his knees. Kevin's hand snuck aside and held his reassuringly. Ben looked at the raven who smiled at him. Ben smiled back and turned to the doctor, "So, um?"

"Let's start the check up shall we? Ben, please remove your clothes and put on the ones Doctor Stacy will hand to you."

"Sure."

o.o.o

An hour had passed. All kinds of check-ups were done on Ben, not a part of him was spared. Neither the doctor nor Kevin wanted to compromise the chances of any residual virus sneaking in some corner of the brunette's inner system or outer system. All Ben could do was take a deep breath and ignore the tiny fear of doctoral-equipments that he had.

But since Doctor Sands was so nice, it helped.

After Ben was dressed in his clothes again, he and Kevin resumed their seats at the desk. Doctor Sands came in from the inner room after washing his hands and wiping them on a ivory-coloured towel which he neatly placed aside. Doctor Stacy handed him a file of the results of all the check-ups they did on Ben.

"Thank you, Stacy; you can go take your break now," he smiled. To his surprise, she bit back a smile and spoke politely, "No, it's,... I prefer to watch, thank you, doctor."

_Watch?_ The doctor wondered. He raised an eyebrow at her, but she maintained her facade of blank expressions, so he turned to the couple who were whispering to each other. Evidently, Ben was tense and Kevin was calming him.

"Now, let's see what the results have to say, Ben," Doctor Sands spoke, making both the teens whip their heads in his direction abruptly. Kevin's left hand held Ben's right one. Both prayed that no news regarding any viruses should come their way from the doctor's mouth.

"Alright... ," he read through the report carefully, "Circulatory system functioning... stomach and other digestive organs intact... Ben's extra alert Omnitrix seems to have taken care of what Ben ate, so there is no food poisoning here... hmm, " he continued turning pages, "Skeletal system in proper function, although I see a small arch in the spine but I am not going to question that..." he peered mirthfully with one eye at the blushing brunette, as he continued to murmur, "Immunity... check. Density of flesh mass... check. Nutrition... check. Nervous system... check. Brain... check..." and he continued to murmur; at times citing some long fancy medical terms that passed Kevin and Ben's knowledge, so they assumed it was no bad news.

Finally, the doctor looked at the last sheet of paper which he peered at.

The teenagers watched his casual expression slowly change; a crease appeared in his forehead, his lips formed a small thin line, his faint eyebrows knitted as he gazed long and hard at what was in the sheet. Ben felt a lump of fear in his throat, and also felt Kevin's fingers squeeze his.

The slow dance of expressions changed from the slow surprise to sudden joy. A smile burst into the handsome mature face. It was so sudden that neither of the teens knew how to react. They just blinked, barely breathing in the suspense.

The doctor exchanged glances with Doctor Stacy who had a smaller version of the same smile plastered on her otherwise calm face.

Kevin lost it. "Ok, doc, is something wrong with Ben? Is- is there any virus in him?"

"No, of course not!" the doctor beamed, as he continued to gaze at the sheet, "Well...would I be as happy if there were?"

"Oh my God, it's my brain, isn't it?!" Ben gasped completely ignoring the doctor's last remark, while his free hand roamed, touching the top of his own brunette head carefully. Kevin shook his own, stating, "Nah, he said that the nervous system and brain were 'check', as in 'they are fine', so its ok, Ben!"

"Then maybe it's my lungs, or my heart! Vital organs! Vital organs!" Ben nervously tittered; Kevin denied again, "No Ben, nothing's wrong with your heart... right doc?" Kevin turned to the man, hoping for back-up from the knowledgeable one.

Sands looked up from the sheet, grinning, "Oh, there's nothing wrong with Ben's heart," and he added cheerfully, "In fact, Ben will soon have _two_ heart beating inside of him!"

The teens looked at him stumped.

"Ben's _mutating_?!" Kevin exclaimed. Ben looked pale in unison to Kevin's exclamation, his eyes wide.

"What? Haha, no!" Doctor Sands smiled happily, "Congratulations; Ben and Kevin! You both will soon be fathers; Ben's pregnant!"

_"WUUUHAAAUT?!"_

- End of chapter –

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**_omg! yeah ! 30th chapter with mpreg! wahoooo! yes, this was the wish i was talking abt! hotxhotguy, i hope ure happy with it! :D more in the next chappie!_**

**_and i just realised; my story Its A Wild life has it all! i mean, check this out:- _**

**_family, check!... emo, check!... drama, check!... mutations, check!... attempts of humour, check!... romance, hell yeah check!... food description, check!... bloody gore, sorta check!... song chapters, check!... multiple OC couples, check!... detailed sex, check!... sci-fi, check! !...and now... mpreg, check!_**

**_yeaaahoooo! omg! :D i am so pleased! :D (all thts left is gender-bending. and i am SO not doing tht in this story! :P)_**

**_review pls! :D merry christmas! and a happy new year soon!_**

**_[PS: this is the last chapter for this year. im in a bit of a family get together soon and i will not be able to update :P srry! but a week or two and i will be back! :D]_**


	31. Blessing curse

_**Ok, so im back! :D missed me? Ok I knw yall did! :D**_

_**Well, I see a lot of ppl have favourited, followed and reviewed all my fics so thnkyu all! :D **_

_**and ... lets see, my bevin sex-chapter had a few achievements:-**_

_**It shrieked the hell out of my frnd Stuffedtoycuddler; made another lovely reviewer fullmoonwolf950 bleed by her nose all over her computer screen; made arlena . ferell label it as the best sex ever read; and made one of my Guests want to award me a Grammy.**_

_**Like wow guys! I'm honoured sniff sniff! I would like to accept this award by thanking my bestie J.J who first introduced yaoi (and bevin) into my life. Thnkyu honey, I love you! :'D (waving madly to my idiot-of-a-bestie who is nose-high in naruto yaoi porn)**_

_**And also all you lovely readers who stuck with me till the latest chapter! and new readers too! Uwaa! :D **_

_**By the way, 15th Jan is my bday so heehee, good tym to type rite?! I can proudly say 'my first update for 2013 is in my beloved Its A Wildlife and tht too, on my bday!'**_

_**And as for those of you who are waiting for me to slip my age in between this insanely long Authors Note... hehe not so fast kiddies! hahah! im not revealing my age! Hehe I like to keep an aura of mystery! fufufufufu! But im open to guesses tho! Wht age do I sound like whn I write? 15? 50? 20? Well? I was always intrigued by those expert professionals who cud guess the age and personalities of a person by analysing their handwriting or the way they write! :D hahah. Lets see if ure one of them! wink wink!**_

_**oh and special shout-out to fullmoonwolf950, i still havent gotten over how fast you sped up the number of reviews i have, by reviewing for every chapter i wrote! like hahah! it went from 40's to 80's in like (snap!) that! hahah luv you, darling!**_

_**...So, lets get on with whts up in this story... lets see... um, oh yeah. The 'WHAUUUT?! #! #$!$! $!#%!#$!# ' freak-out of newly gonna-be parents.**_

_**warning : (music)'i wanna watch-yaoi-guys make love in this club...' usher dont kill me, i dont really like you but some of ur songs are cewl, eh.**_

_**disclaimer : i dont own ben ten alien force! like no way! or there wud be teeny tiny ben-juniors and kevin-juniors running arnd with their daddies chasing them 'just put on the pants atleaast! our neighbours are pedos!'**_

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_**ITS A WILD LIFE**_

**_Chapter thirty one: Blessing curse_**

"What? Haha, no!" Doctor Sands smiled happily, "Congratulations; Ben and Kevin! You both will soon be fathers; Ben's pregnant!"

_"WUUUHAAAUT?!"_

Gwen and Julie from outside the office jumped to their feet at the sound of the exclamation. "Woah, that sounded like the guys!"

Immediately barging in to the room, they saw an unconscious Ben hanging limp against a confused Levin who held him as if he himself was dissolving into jelly. Doctor Sands got up in alarm, but seeing the two girls and Doctor Stacy help the moveless form of the brunette into an inspection bed in the very same room, the blonde man sat back into his seat.

Kevin's eyes went wide as he sat rooted to his chair, and watched Gwen and Julie flutter around Ben who lay on the bed, all three away from his threshold of hearing. Doctor Stacy left Ben to the care of the two girls and walked towards the doctor who smiled up at her, "Now I see why you wished to remain here rather than take your break!"

Doctor Stacy smiled genuinely. The man had guessed right; she had realised the results of the check-up and had wanted to see the reactions of the boys when Doctor Sands revealed the news. And she was satisfied with her reward.

Doctor Sands chuckled and turned to Kevin, who half-sat-half-stood from his chair; that is, with his butt in the air but his legs folded at the knees, feet on the ground, his fingers holding the arms of the chair tightly, while his body twisted to his left to bestow a confused gaze at the far away bed where lay his fainted beloved. And soon to be pregnant?!

Kevin slowly turned to look at the doctors who smiled ear-to-ear. Blinking at them in stupefied horror, he wheezed, "You guys are... not...joking...?" and Kevin was not quite sure whether his words were a question to be answered or a statement to be laughed at.

And being the lively man he was, Doctor Sands did the later.

He laughed pleasantly, saying, "Of course I am not! We are not, are we, Stacy?"

Kevin's dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as he sunk into his chair, relaxing but still panicking. Running his hands down his sweating face, he gasped, "This is... this is..._this is impossible!_"

The blonde man and blonde woman watched Kevin blink in awe like an amnesiac who got his memories back in a flooding tsunami of flashbacks.

"Why so?" Sands asked happily.

Kevin looked at him as if the later had grown a halo above his blonde head.

Kevin was clearly freaking out. So said his extremely pale face and jittering hands which were otherwise always suave and calm. His brown eyes darted madly between the two staring calmly at him. Kevin spat in confusion in fast, speeding and high pitched tones, while his hands emphasised animatedly, "Look, docs; Ben _can't_ be pregnant! I'm no biologist or fuck; but I am _pretty_ sure _guys_ are not wired to get pregnant! The hell, now Ben's gonna pop babies outta his ass?! And why _now_?! I mean, Ben and I have hooked up so many _fricking_ times... shit, I can't even count on my _fucking_ fingers how many times we had sex! We _fucked _like _fucking_ bunnies! And I should add I don't use _fucking_ condoms 'cause I'm an Osmosian and we sure as hell are 90% indestructible to those bullshit communicative AIDS and such viruses, and Ben's _fucking_ Omnitrix keep him _fucking_ safe too! Then why did he get pregnant _now_?! And HOW now?! Ben is a _fricking _MALE! Males don't conceive! What the hell...?! Whuh...?! Whuh? Whuh..." Kevin's voice drifted away when he was out of breath.

The doctors paused in a frozen blink.

And then suddenly Doctor Sands guffawed at the speech, and Doctor Stacy giggled into her hand.

The male doctor shook his head as he brushed a tear from under his eye, "Bwahah! I am extremely sorry to be laughing, Kevin, but your comments are so _colourful_ when you are 'freaking out' as you teenagers say."

Kevin kept looking at them without a change of expression, "Uh..." he looked down at his lap, feeling breathless and confused, and then quickly snapped his eyes back to the doctors as another million questions bombarded his head. Even before he could continue his arrays of questions peppered with swears that reflected his bewilderment, Doctor Sands sighed and cleared his throat, regaining his serious and authorative posture of serene soothingness.

"Kevin, please calm down and don't panic. I shall explain everything to you -" but Kevin butted in, "Then why-" and the doctor butted him out, "I will answer every, _single,_ one, of your questions, Kevin. Just take a few minutes to quieten your nerves. Please. It will help you understand the complexity of the present situation and also help you deal it better. Now take a deep breath and sit properly in your chair. I don't mean to be rude but you look like a lady who saw a rat under the table."

That was when Kevin noticed that he had he had drawn up his legs into the chair during his ranting. Blushing in embarrassment, he set his legs down shakily to the white glossy tiles and slumped deep into the chair with a deep breath. Closing his eyes and settling his fazed mind carefully, he let the doctor's cool and suave voice compress his stress and work its magic into his head. And he did not open his tawny eyes until he could see, hear, feel, smell and think straight again.

"Sorry, doc... just so _confused_..." Kevin regained the mature understanding back in his voice as he sighed, placing his hands on either knee sheathed in jeans. The male doctor consoled, "It's alright. Stacy and I have known and experienced worse outcomes from several underage, alien hybrid, soon-to-be parents who heard the news for the first time. Trust me, when I mean 'known and experienced worse' I literally mean it. So I forgive you; just take your time to be at peace with yourself so that you can understand me when I explain everything to you."

Looking back at the two doctors, Kevin inhaled softly through his nose and blew out a puff of air as he exhaled.

He spoke, "OK, I'm good. Please tell me what's going on."

"Alright, first let me tell you, the 'how' and 'why' question about Ben's pregnancy has the same answers to them," the man's azure eyes flashed calmly as he continued, "This all comes back to the word we dread. The Vulporous virus."

Kevin's eyes widened as saucers.

"No, nothing to fear, just listen to me. To start from the start," the man sighed simply as he continued, "We all had thought that Ben was bitten by a male Vulphorous. But, a few days after you all left for your Tetraxia mission, forensic lab results came to me revealing that the Vulphorous was inconspicuously androgynous. That is, probably the host was a species of alien that was androgynous, and the Vulphorous virus which had passed to the said host would have been from another male host. Hence we all assumed the host to be male.

What I am coming to is, the Vulphorous virus, that had rendered into Ben's hormones, had deposited a large amount of a particular female tissue which sat inactive in his abdomen. And I had not detected it during Ben's earlier check-ups or during his cleansing was because the tissue is highly advanced to be hidden and unnoticeable. And I had not even guessed it would be there, to begin with."

"And... the tissue is..." Kevin blinked.

"Yes, a temporary womb. Well, its a very old method of the virus's protection-mechanism against extinction. You see, eons ago, when the Vulphori were just a normal species that did not affect other species, they had suffered a bout of near-extinction. Hence, a self-defensive mechanism was evolved in the next generations where even males could be impregnated and produce offsprings and increase the population from dwindling to plenty. It didn't contribute much unfortunately, but the some of the viruses managed to inherit that trait and hold the ability to produce temporary wombs into their hosts."

"So, my Ben's gonna have a little _Vulphori junior__?!_" Kevin gaped, his skin an ill shade or ivory, his eyebrow twitching.

Sands smiled, which was a good sign. "No, Kevin. You needn't worry. You see, this temporary-womb mechanism was only needed by the _species _of Vulphori to survive. But the _virus_ only wants to latch to a host to feed and thrive. The mechanism just activates and grows a temporary womb made from Ben's flesh and blood, but the child born within it will be absolutely safe and free of Vulphori DNA."

"Oh, phew..." Kevin relaxed back into the chair. "So, my kid's safe... and virus-free..."

"Yes he is. And so, I have answered the 'how' and 'why'?"

"Yeah... how Ben's pregnant is 'cause of the temporary womb and the obvious Oestrogen that produced an ovary... that I fertilized." Brown eyes looked at the blue ones, and the doctor grinned, "Given the amount of development of the embryo, I assume that the two of you copulated exactly the same night you returned to earth?"

Kevin smiled for the first time since a few minutes. "Yeah.. hehehe", he scratched he back of his neck, "We uh got out-of-control, yeah. As it was, we were desperate for skin-on-skin... And besides, I run on hormones, so yeah at the heat of the moment.. hehehe..."

Stacy blushed as a vision of something popped into her head and she quickly blinked it away. Doctor Sands smiled widely, "I don't blame you, teenagers are quite spontaneous."

"Yeah..." Kevin mumbled sheepishly agreeing.

"And, so, coming back to matters; ..." the doctor blinked, "Did you understand the 'why pregnancy now' part of your doubts?"

"Oh yeah, 'cause of the temporary womb.'Cause males can't conceive and if they _could_, Ben and I would have had a nursery of I-dunno-how-many kids," he shrugged, "So only 'cause the womb happened to be there, despite the Cleansing Process, that I got him pregnant. Otherwise, nada. Right?"

"Right." The man nodded, "Then comes more specialities."

"Uh,... ok?" Kevin wrung his hands nervously, hoping none of those 'specialities' would have any dire consequences.

"Well, the pregnancy will not be normal. This temporary womb can speed up the gestation process and the child will be born rather than the usual 9 months or so, to just 3 months."

Kevin's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"But you don't have to worry, Stacy and I will be with you two, in every step of the way. This is a special kind of alien-pregnancy; and a rare one too, so we will keep a close watch on Ben. His diet, his comfort and his health will be closely monitored. And you will have the major responsibility, being the 'father' of the child."

"Ok," Kevin gaped at the table for a moment, before looking back into the wise blues, "Uh, how's the kid gonna... come out?"

"After a C-section, of course. Ben will not develop an orifice, mind you, so that's the only way. And you _do _know that the baby won't 'pop out of his ass', right?"

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry I even said that! It sounds crazy when you say it!" Kevin chuckled shyly, "Like I totally know that the womb-thing has nothing to do with the behind which just leads to the intestines and stomach! Like as if! Hahaha..."

Sands nodded, impressed, as he laced his fingers together and rested his chin on the hammock so created. "Well, well, Kevin! You do know your Biology appropriately."

"Heh, thanks... Kevin licked his dry lips even as he worried them. After a few moments of silence, Kevin suddenly gasped, "Wait a minute..."

The room paused for Kevin to voice what realisation he had hit.

"I'm..." Kevin gaped, his brown eyes wide and shocked, mouth open, slow heavy breaths falling, "I'm..." his fingers trembled from their grasp on the chair arms.

"Yes?" Doctor Sands looked a little worried even. Doctor Stacy nearly leaned from her position beside the man.

"I'm...," Kevin gasped again, as the silence craned itself to know what Kevin had realised.

"_I'm gonna be a DAD! IN THREE MONTHS!_" he gasped in shock as if hearing the news for the first time.

"Oh my..." the doctors chuckled in awe. So possibly, the news hadn't struck him till now. It was the mystery of it that baffled him at first. Now the true news, that he was going to be a father, had dwelled into his brain.

Kevin stood up suddenly, as straight as an arrow, the chair falling backwards. Kevin stared straight ahead like a robot that was suddenly activated.

He turned his raven head slowly to his left, where Ben lay on the bed, sitting up on his elbows, awake.

"Ben...?" Kevin spoke, now fully turning to Ben's direction although he was still at the doctor's desk.

"I heard," Ben spoke in a shaking voice, "Everything. About me, about the virus, about... _our_ _baby_."

Kevin just stared. And the next moment, to the surprise of Doctor Sands, Doctor Stacy and the two girls (who had not uttered a word amidst the interesting drama so as to let the boys figure out their new parenthood), almost in the speed of light Kevin was at Ben's side, hugging him tightly.

"He moves fast," the doctors observed in awe. Then they gazed warmly, as Kevin planted a happy, feverent kiss upon his beloved's open mouth.

"I'm gonna be _a dad!_" Kevin man-squealed as he crushed Ben a tight hug. The brunette's cheek pressed against the raven's, as the former choked, "Kevin, I'm gonna be a d-dad too, and I love you, but you're... irk...k-killing me... baby-crush alert!"

Kevin let go, while his hands still cradled the panting form that sat on the bed. "Sorry, man," Kevin apologised but he didn't seem to mean it because his otherwise smug eyes were literally sparkling in fucking joy. He looked down at the petite stomach and pulled out one hand to lift up the black shirt, peering intently at the flat skin for any signs, "Woah, someone's in there! Someone who's all mine and Benji's!"

He grinned straightening up, and grasping Ben in another kiss. Which Ben returned valuably; while forgetting the pair of adult eyes gazing happily at them, or the two female ones sparkling in tears.

Pulling away, Kevin couldn't stop beaming; some sort of frenzied happiness had seized his hard-to-please heart, that he just couldn't stop grinning. And what's this fucking burning stinging his eyes?!

Ben couldn't stop grinning either. When he had heard the conversation between Kevin and Doctor Sands, he too was fearful of the worst, at all the parts Kevin was. And when Kevin had realised that a bundle of joy was soon going to be born to them, Ben had realised it too. Although the responsibility of having to carry the child was supreme, he was suddenly enveloped in a maternal sense of well-being, to be growing a real, living human in the depths of his abdomen.

Kevin's joyed face turned to Gwen and Julie, announcing, "Hey, girls! I'm gonna be a _dad!_"

Now that they found it safe to enter the picture, the redhead and raven let loose their pleasure and screamed the hell out of the room as they jumped into a bear hug, embracing Kevin and Ben within it.

"I'm gonna be an _Aunt!_" Gwen sobbed happily within the hug. "We're gonna be _Godmothers!_" Julie joined. Kevin and Ben laughed, even as within the warm embrace, green eyes bore into the brown ones lovingly.

Away from the bed, the doctors watched on.

Doctor Sands chuckled as he relieved his hands from his ears, "Ah, what a happy group."

"They were always special, weren't they, Doctor Sands?" Stacy answered with a smile, as she too let her hands drop from her ears where they had been pressed when the screams had come. "Do you think they noticed that the child growing in Ben's womb is going to be the most powerful being in the Universe?" she asked as she watched the laughing and talking group.

"Well, they dont seem to have noticed amidst the simple joy of every human. But that doesnt erase the fact that since Ben had been obviously wearing the Omnitrix during copulation, the several inumerable DNA samples will have affixed into the child's as well. Yes, _the most powerful being in the Universe_ grows in the womb of a fifteen year old male Xenomorph. Perfectly apt, Stacy!" he smiled at her.

"Thank you." She smiled back.

o.o.o

"Uh, sorry I trashed you for barfing," Kevin apologised.

After their hugging session, the girls had zoomed away to tell Max about the new discovery, while Kevin and Ben were now in the visitors lounge, letting the doctors treat a patient who was been admitted.

Squeezing his arm around the younger teen's shoulder, Kevin hummed, "I shouldn't have been mad at you about food poisoning, when _I_ was the real reason why you were throwing up!"

Ben shrugged, "Eh, its no big deal", he nuzzled closer to the chiselled chest, "It doesn't change the fact I was stupid enough to eat rotten pizza. So I deserved it."

"Forget that," Kevin sighed, beaming again, "You're going to be a mommy soon, and during that while, I won't let you out of my sight! So there's no chance of your eating something I didn't buy you."

"Your wallet will have a big hole, Kevin honey, I hear preggos eat like there's no tomorrow!" Ben grinned against the strong column of neck. Kevin answered slyly, "Then you have no idea what money I have, heheh."

Ben pulled away to look up in surprise, "Like really?!" green eyes wide.

Kevin shrugged, "Tell you some other time," and he was successful in shooing away any more questions from Ben, by pressing his lips to the brunette's. Chuckling into the mouth, Ben circled his arms around the shoulder, responding to the kiss heatedly.

After they lost their breath, they pulled away, and Ben was contended to lie in the strong arms which held him lovingly as if he were a fragile glass sculpture.

"Hey, Ben?"

"Yeah, soon-to-be-daddy Levin?"

"Hehe," Kevin liked the sound of that. "Did Julie say 'Godmother-_s' _earlier?"

"Yeah," Ben sighed, "They argued and I agreed to make 'em both our baby's Godmothers. Or else I'd be Anodite meat or Ship fertilizer or both."

- End of Chapter –

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**_Well, I kinda feel this chappies a bit loose, but eh ewhtever._**

**_Lemme get one thing straight: I quote Kevin "I am no biologist or fuck." _**

**_So there. I actually took computer science for my high school thnk you :P but I always had an eye for bio too hehe. So whatever I wrote in this chapter may or may not be accurate so don't come waddling to me with a giant encyclopedia and pointing out 'You freak, bxkfreakazoid! its not like THAT! its like THIS! Blah blah blah!' coz im just gonna shove the big book up ur ass and growl, "You wanted mpreg and I gave you mpreg! Now shut up or leave!"_**

**_But im sure you all are not like tht rite? Give me some room to be imaginative :D ! This author's brain must be a doctor, a hotheaded raven and a pregnant Ben, so gimme a break!_**

**_And pls don't question Kevin's weird behaviour at first! I mean, literally he freaked out coz males cant conceive dammit! Thts wht I don't get abt mpreg I mean seriously, where does the ovary come from eh? Sperms don't fertilise each other! Thts why I used vulphori virus here, coz as much as I hate tht crappy virus for ruining Bevin time, I had to use it for explaining how the fuck a guy could carry!_**

**_But tht don't mean I hate mpreg stories out there kukuku! I have read some and I pretty much love those, although the 'guy carrying baby' part still biologically remains a fantasy alone. _**

**_But then, ALL this is fantasy. This yaoi love? This hot sex stuff? The lovey dovey sacrifice? All fantasy. Sniff sniff. When has Kevin and Ben ever fallen in love in the reality of Alien Force? If only Kevin and Ben looked at each other like 'that', atleast ONCE, in Alien Force... sigh._**

**_But on the bright side... there was tht one episode where Verdona is introduced for the first tym and she fights Ben and Kevin, and Ben is thrown into Kevin's lap? In the water?! Oh RYYEAAAH! Im sure every Bevin fan out there worships that one image! Like fucking yeah! :D_**

**_Shit, I was almost depressing just now, rite? Tht too on my bday! Shame on you bxkfreaky! (waggles forefinger at mirror) oh rite, you just noticed im weird! Heheh, part of aging, me hearties! :D_**

**_Review pls! :D_**

**_and brownie points for those who guess wht the title of this chapter refers to! wink wink!_**

**_Mwah mwah!_**

**_(kevin: (jumping up and down) im gonna be a DAD!_**

**_me: (groaning) oh kevvy! for the last tym! i think im sure i noticed that ure gonna be a dad!_**

**_kevin: wanna feel ben's belly?!_**

**_me: no._**

**_kevin: (ran off to feel bens belly)_**

**_me: (sighing to myself) its gonna be a long day!)_**


	32. Abortion, a no-no

**_big hello to all! :D new emo-istic chappie up for grabs! thnk u for te lovely reviews too!_**

**_yes, StuffedToyCuddler, i missed you too! :D nyc to see u back on track catching up with with my story!_**

**_oh, almost forgot, brownie points for fullmoonwolf950 for guessing the title meaning of the previous chapter! yay! as she has rightely guessed, its called 'blessing curse' coz the curse is the virus tht ruined beviny smex, but its turned out a blessing coz it gave ben and kevin a kid! aw cho chweet!_**

**_and thnks to all te other reviewers too! :D its te energy to keep pumping this story!_**

**_warning : this story contains yaoi! its te 32nd chapter for petes sake! do i HAVE to put up a warning?! (looks arnd) O_O well, i guess i do._**

**_disclaimer : i dont own ben ten alien force! except my OCs ofcourse! my lovely hot OCs! uwaa!_**

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**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

_**Chapter thirty two: Abortion, a no-no.**_

Max huffed out a sigh. Unwinding his large arm from his grandson's shoulder, he squared his face.

"Alright, all the happy stuff apart; we have some serious issues to deal here!" he frowned, and all the smiling and laughing faces dropped silent.

As much as he was overjoyed that he was going to be a great-grandfather soon, he had the wise sharp mind to analyse all sorts of matters that left everyone's eyes when they were happy.

"Like what grandpa?" asked Ben in slight worry. Max looked down at the small face and could not help notice how he glowed in his pre-preganancy; everyone noticed it. Kevin noticed it first ofcourse; and then so did the girls, and the Plumbers Kids who had come sweeping in to the Secret Plumbers Base to congratulate the raven and brunette.

"Carl and Sandra!" Max sighed.

This was the second time that the two names caused a suddenly painful silence to ripple across the group. Last time, it was about the Tennyson parents finding out that Ben was infected with a Vulphorous Virus. Now it was that their only SON was _pregnant_.

"Oh no!" Ben gasped his face frowning, "They are not gonna like this! Especially when they didn't even like it about the Omnitrix!" his eyes glanced at Kevin whose face darkened a little. The raven could only agree; would the Tennyson parents approve of their _son_ being _pregnant_ with the child of his _best friend_? Who had no parents, or a family? Whose finances came from sources not known to them?

Kevin's mind replied sourly that no, they wouldn't. As far as he knew, the two parents might as well sign him out of Ben's life and send the newborn to an orphanage. Or maybe even _remove_ it _before_ it was born...

"NO, Kevin!" Gwen spat out suddenly, surprising them all. Her blazing green eyes were boring on the surprised pair of brown eyes, as she gasped, "Don't think like that! Carl and Sandra are not cold-hearted to do all that!"

"What-what?!" Kevin blinked in confusion, "You read my thoughts?!"

Gwen blushed when she felt the several eyes on her. Julie patted her shoulder, and seeing Gwen too tongue-tied as she continued to gaze at her raven ex, Julie spoke for her, explaining to the others, "The thought-reading ability gets out of hand when she concentrates too much," and she placed her cool brown eyes on the tawny ones of the raven male, "Evidently, Kevin, you were what she was trying to decipher."

"What was the stuff you were thinking that made Gwen say that?" Ben asked his lover, bestowing worried looks by his wide green eyes. Kevin turned his face to him, and opened his mouth to speak, but only a sigh came out. He lifted his hand to his forehead, brushing up his black fringe as he moaned, "I don't think your parents would want you to have this kid. _My_ kid, if I should correct. You parents weren't all that eager about me."

Ben's eyebrows furrowed as he gasped, "But-but... my child..." his hand fluttered to his now-flat stomach as he spoke in a daze, "You mean..." he turned his tearing face to the elder one, looking up with his cherubic face, "Grandpa, would dad and mom ask me to...?"

He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Kevin flinched; he had been so glad about the baby till a few minutes ago, and now a cloud of doubtful fear hung in the air, making his neck burn.

"My son is not as heartless," Max spoke in his deep voice, the kind that showed he was unsure, "But there is no saying how they will respond to this."

The Plumber Kids exchanged glances in panic. Surely, would the Tennyson parents demand an abortion?

"I DON'T CARE!"

Kevin's sudden voice came manly and even angry, alerting the silent group to staring at him as he put his words in Max's direction, "I _don't care_ what your son or your daughter-in-law wants; _I want my kid_ and I _am_ keeping it! And it's a child I will have with Ben, so that's enough reason for me! It's the only family I will ever have and I am NOT going to let it slip out of my hands!" his fist clenched at his side.

With the loss of his parents at tender age, Kevin had drifted like a soulless child throughout his preteens and then as a bachelor till now. He had no one to call his own except close friends. And _Ben_. His beloved. The only person who understood him even as enemies. And now, a blood-relative was soon to be his, and there were chances of _that_ being snatched away as well?! Not if he could help it!

Ben desperately jumped to him, hugging him in agreement and looked at Max worriedly. Every emotion in the green eyes spoke in defence of what Kevin had said. He was NOT going to mercilessly have the newborn removed! Although he was a male, he had developed extreme motherly affections for the living soul building up its energies from his body. And the baby being Kevin's made his resolve stronger.

Kevin merely curled his arm around the lover's waist and continued to speak to Max in a defensive and protective voice, "_Nothing_ will make me let Ben have an abortion! And if Ben's parents persist, I'll _abduct_ Ben. I swear I will." His voice sounded deadly serious.

Max's face stared blankly at Kevin. The rest of them now fixed their eyes on the Magister to know his reaction. Ben's fingers curled into the fabric of Kevin's black shirt as did the raven's arm hold the brunette closer.

Max's face lit in a small smile of appreciation, surprising everyone, "Kevin, I will, by no means, let your unborn child be destroyed! You have every right to defend it, and I shall stand with you. After all, it is my great-grandchild too!"

A rumble of sighs flit through the air. Ben relaxed and gave a smile of relief, although Kevin had not moved from his serious-face look.

"Then what are you going to do about it?" Kevin asked, his voice was no longer accusing or cold, but calm and concerned. Again the group was caught in dramatic suspense. All eyes zoom to Max.

"Well, Ben can continue living with you in your home, and visit Carl and Sandra as always. It will avoid any suspicions from their side," Max nodded to the ground as he continued, "And when Ben starts to show signs of the pregnancy, we can move him out of town."

"Out of town?!" Gwen gasped, "But won't they demand why?"

"They will; and we will tell them that it's for a very important alien mission. I am not one for encouraging lying; but this is a very delicate matter so I give you permission to lie albeit shamelessly." He shook his head. "We cannot let either of the two find out Ben in his third month. If they do, I doubt Sandra might even die from the shock owing to her weak heart. So we will have to move Ben out of their sight. If he stays at Kevin's home, they might just drop in to visit. And I'm sure we don't have to remind you how they reacted when they found Ben's hero-status. Although they cooperated later, _this_ matter might be something they will immediately hate Ben for."

Ben whimpered gently, making Kevin's hand lift from the brunette's waist, to the rub the back of Ben's neck, reassuringly.

"But, the moving; won't it affect Ben during his vulnerable stage? And if we teleportation is used, the electromagnetic rays might mess with the child too!" Helen asked, biting her black lips in concern. She was always one for babies and their safety.

Manny nodded, crossing his four red arms, "Yeah, keepin' him where he is would be betta, maybe we could just lie abou' the hotel, but put some invisibility shield aroun' Levin's home so that Ben's folks don't see 'im?"

Pierce's eyes fell on Gwen, "A shield made of Gwen's manna, that is. Since it is more natural than alien tech, it will be harmless for the womb. Plus, we can erect and re-erect it without any fear of it crashing into the home or messing with the tech in the Plumber Hideout under Kevin's home."

Copper contributed to the conversation, "I see that its more appropriate to keep Ben here in Bellwood, considering all of us will be near him to help him when he needs it! And the doctors too, if something goes wrong!"

Alan agreed, "Exactly! And especially if one o' those Hybrids or DNAliens or even _Vilgax_ find out abou' Ben bein' preggos, they'd come sweepin' in to attack him advantageously in that condition! If _that_ happens, we'll be near to jump in and protect Ben as quick as we can!" he held up his fist in excited bravery. A lot of excited hums followed as they agreed positively.

Spike nodded suavely, saying out optimistically, "And at the time the baby is about to be born, Ben can be easily taken to the Secret Base. Avoids the traffic delay or any aliens spotting him with their gadgets!"

Thus the Plumber Kids each put forward their serious, earnest opinions, as if making the decision was their sole responsibility. It made Kevin and Ben gawk like idiots, their eyes swinging from Plumber Kid to Plumber Kid in awe; they had no idea that the group would be so deeply concerned to be involved.

Ben's eyes nearly teared-up as the group turned to him determinedly, with their leader Pierce speaking bravely, "We will do all we can to make sure Ben is safe during his three months. Nothing will be compromised, and with Max's help, we will be instantly ready if Ben is attacked or as such!"

Kevin looked appreciatively at them, and for once he smiled although the knot in his stomach hadn't untied.

"Thanks guys," he spoke, his husky voice smoothened with gratitude.

Max looked proudly at his group of soon-to-be Plumbers. Which, by the way, Ben had gathered for him.

Again, Kevin turned to Max, his brown eyes going a little worried, "And after the kid is born?"

Max hummed in thought, folding his fat arms at his chest, "Let's see," he closed his eyes pensively, before opening them to look at the soon-to-be father, "I think I know a few acquaintances of Verdona's; female humans who have been her friends here on Earth during one of her brief stays. I think one of them has a nursery. We can hand the child over to her for care-taking. You and Ben can visit the child whenever you want, and we keep this a secret until Carl and Sandra can be informed about it."

"I still can't believe we can doubt mom and dad!" Ben moaned, "As far as I knew them, they were always loving and flexible! And I even think mom knows I'm gay but she's never pestered me about it. Or maybe she just doesn't know and when she does, they might disown me or something..." his voice trailed off. Kevin saw possibilities of Ben about to sob, so he cuddled the brunette closer, "I don't think how much ever they hate the child you carry, that they could ever _disown_ their only son!"

Ben hugged Kevin back thankfully, trying to lessen the painful weight gathering in his chest.

As the future parents comforted each other silently, Max turned to the group, knowing that the two cuddlers were listening as well. He spoke strongly, standing akimbo, "Alright, its fixed then! We watch Ben carefully as he continues to live 'normally'," Max air-quoted in a lame attempt of catching up with the new generation mimics, making a few chuckle, "... and when he starts to show signs of a large tummy, we tell his parents that we have an important mission that requires Ben to be away from Earth. In the meantime, we will be tending to Ben from the Levin home on which Gwen will put up her invisibility shield making sure the outsiders only see an illusion of an empty house rather than nothingness instead of it. And the Plumber Kids will patrol the area of the home, wearing ID Masks to seal your appearances. And when the child is about to be born we take him to the Secret Plumbers Base where Doctor Sands and Doctor Stacy will conduct the birth. Got it?"

"Yes SIR!" the group responded, as Kevin and Ben smiled at their sparkling enthusiasm.

"Good!" Max barked, his sergeant-like manners shining out and he commanded, "Now let's get to work! No wasting even seconds! One month will easily flick off our hands like slime before we know it! Plumbers Team, come over with me for some training! And for proper use of ID Masks! And I have a shipload of new tech I wanted to show you all!"

"Yes SIR!" they sang, shuffling to run towards their training room; Max turned to Gwen and Julie, "Gwen! I want you to go prepare and do your spell-homework to build your best shields of invisibility! Julie, help her, but before that, hand Ship to me before you leave; I'm going to have to do some modifications for your power suit!"

"Yes SIR!" the two copied the Plumber Kids, saluting happily.

Max turned to the loving couple, frowning at them, "KEVIN! Get the hell out of my face and ask Doctor Sands for Ben's dietary and other requirements! And BEN! Follow Kevin, and go back to being extremely cute and safe! Move it!"

Startled, Kevin and Ben squeaked, "On it!" before scampering away with grins on their faces.

Max huffed, hand at his hips, "Nothing goes around here till I push asses!"

And then he gave out a tired smile.

His first great-grandchild. It brought fluttering joy to his self, and made him almost glow in happiness.

-End of Chapter-

* * *

**_Boy, do I know how to ruin serious scenes! I always end up making every character jolly in my story whn te chpter starts so seriously! Or is it really a curse? Coz I don't really want to bore you lovely readers with serious drama crap, so I keep it light by the end of the chapter u knw? But I don't want te story to be cheeky and foolish. Hn. Well, I cant be te best, so I mite as well be me._**

**_Pls review, my lovely readers! Keeps me going!_**

**_:D_**


	33. Baby bump

**_big congrats to hotxhotguy who made the hundredth review of this story! yay! (drum rolls and bursting confetti! Jumping and disco-ing)! _**

**_... and as a reward, i am going to feature her (yeah, shes a girl despite the cute name) in this story, a guest appearance you know? _**

**_thnks to all who have been reviewing and favouriting and following, it's almost bringing tears to my eyes, and a smile, to knw tht ive been getting so many positive responses altho this story strted late 2012. thnk u! (sniffing)_**

**_warning : this story contains yaoi! And recently mpreg with a hint of, no I mean a LOT of, sexual activity (not this chapter in particular tho)_**

**_disclaimer : i don't own ben ten alien force! except benji's baby!...uh that came out wrong O_O I mean, I created the baby! That still sounds horribly wrong... (glances at a pissed-off kevin) ok, the baby is kevins! But the idea is MINE!_**

* * *

**_ITS A WILD LIFE_**

**_Chapter thirty three: Baby Bump_**

For the first few days, Ben continued to live normally. Carl and Sandra did not seem to find anything odd about their brunette son. Since a week had passed, the two obnoxious relatives, who had come to stay over, had returned to their country.

Carl and Sandra did have a rather sparse conversation about bringing Ben home.

"Honey, isn't it time Ben came back here?" Sandra mused one day, as she folded the laundry with her quick skilled hands. Her husband sat across the living room, reading a newspaper.

He merely hummed absentminded, as he turned a leaf and continued to read. Sandra shot him a glare which did not reach him given the large newspaper.

She cleared her throat, and he lowered the newspaper, looking at her, "Yes dear?"

"Ben. I was speaking about Ben coming back to live here with us?" she raised a yellow-ocre eyebrow.

"Oh," Carl looked at the ceiling and then at his wife, "Well, what's wrong about him living with his best friend?"

Sandra continued to fold the blue shirt, "Well, actually there is nothing wrong about it... although I am quite worried about that ruffian being parentless, I hope he is not a negative influence on my boy..."

"No, I doubt that," Carl shrugged, "Dad did tell me he's a good guy, and despite his orphaned state, he is quite responsible. Besides, Ben has already been staying there every-now-and-then, and have you noticed anything weird about him?"

"Not really," she answered, placing a manicured finger on her chin.

"See? No biggie!" Carl smiled as he returned to his paper.

Sandra gave out a sigh, "Honey, are you telling me you are not missing your son's presence?!"

Carl lowered his newspaper again, but this time his face sported a look of faint indignance.

"Nonsense, Sandra! How can you say that!" he looked at her calmly before continuing, "Our son is turning seventeen soon, and after that he will be eighteen. Don't you think as flexible parents, we should let him be away from home more often, rather than tether him under us? He is growing up, and we must give him that freedom, or he would get used to our protection and then he might not be able to face the world when we are no longer with him!"

"But what if in the 'freedom', he forgets us altogether?!" Sandra huffed, being the ever-concerned mommy. Carl gave her a long look, so she turned away, "Well, I suppose that was a stupid question, huh?"

Carl nodded in reply.

"But Carl,..."

And Carl stood up, putting his paper aside and walked up to her, "Sandra, we raised our son teaching him the value of love, friendship and family. I am sure no matter what way he grows or what path he chooses, he will not shun us or forget us. Even with his saving-the-world business, he never has ignored us, has he? He loves us and respects us, and being our son he will continue to do so. He is special, isn't he, Sandra? We must give him that freedom."

Sandra looked at her husband thoughtfully, and then sighed in defeat, letting her blonde head fall on his shoulder, "I suppose so..."

Carl smiled, stroking her back, "We must. And since he is a special kid, we must be his special parents. Besides, he has Dad with him to take care of him; and you know he saves the Universe pretty damn well, right?"

Sandra nodded as she gently clutched the white fabric of his shirt.

o.o.o

**First month:**

Ben stood in front of the full length mirror in the bedroom. He had taken off his jacket, his black shirt and his pants. He stood sideways, and pressed his hands behind the base of his spine, pushing out his flat tummy. Probably, he was inspecting for any visible bulges.

Kevin walked in, sipping a soda, nearly dropping the can when his tawny eyes caught the sight of his feminine male lover wearing only a pair of black boxers and flaunting his feminine masculinity of a body in front of the mirror.

Kevin blinked. Blood drained from his brain and shot for the south.

"_What_ are you doing?" he asked icily, his eyes unable to remove themselves from Ben's small boxer-sheathed behind.

Ben jumped, obviously not having realised the Osmosian's presence. Turning around, he bestowed a happy grin on the struck raven. It just flipped Kevin's tummy further, stirring the butterflies there that had been slumbering.

"Oh hey, Kevin! I was just looking for any bumps, that's all!"

Kevin nodded, biting his lower lip, and walking over, he sat at the edge of the bed, folding one leg over the other, "You know it's too early, right? It's like what, the second week?"

Ben shrugged, returning to the inspection, pouting as he concentrated on the image copying him on the crystal-clear mirror, "Yeah, but I have these weird feelings that the baby's moving in there. I just hope it's not visible or mom and dad would notice."

"Uh-huh," tongue poking the inside of his left cheek, Kevin nodded only paying half the attention, his eyes still rapturously captured by the derriere, "You know, you're torturing me in the process."

Ben turned around, his jade eyes wide in concerned confusion, "Huh? Torturing?"

Kevin forcefully willed himself to move his brown eyes from the butt, to the cherubic face, as he spoke bluntly, "You remember what Doctor Sands told us?"

_Doctor Sands sighed as he spoke, "I do have a small bad news, Kevin," at which the raven and brunette recoiled a little fearfully._

_"Yeah?"_

_"Well, from the second week onwards, the two of you cannot have sex."_

_"WHAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Kevin stood up, his hands slapping on the table, his eyes wild. Sands looked calmly at Ben, who caught Kevin's waist and tugged him down, to his chair. Once seated, Kevin groaned as he raked his fingers through his black hair, "Oh cmon! Not again! I just get the liberty after the virus drama, and now THIS?!"_

_The doctor smiled apologetically, "Ah, I am sorry for you, Kevin, but since Ben's pregnancy is a rare and special kind, we cannot risk the factors. Even though the foetus is developing at a rate faster than a human's, there is chance that copulation will damage it. The stress on the body during copulation can harm the child as well. I am really sorry, but you will have to wait another three months till you can ravish Ben with your sperms again."_

_"Three months?!" Kevin groaned, his eyes rolling back in his eye sockets, and Ben gave out a squeal when the Osmosian, and the chair he sat on, flipped backwards on the floor._

Kevin sighed. Ben had daintily pressed his finger to his chin, and gave out a giggle, "Oh yeah, that we can't have sex?"

"Yeah, that," Kevin grumbled at the nasty concept of it, toying with the soda can, "And with you walking around like _this,_" he brandished his soda can at the slim brunette's lack of proper covering, "It's really hard work to keep off from throwing you on this bed right here, and taking you, now, on the spot."

"Oh?" Ben looked down at himself, and chuckled mirthfully at his near-to-nude-ness, "Sorrie!"

Seeing Kevin's dark look as the brown eyes stared at the wall rather than at him, Ben sighed, "I bet you're comparing this situation with what you had to face when I was a Vulphorous?"

Kevin's eyes snapped back to him, "What, so now _you_ read minds too?!"

Ben gave out a silvery laugh, his hands on his effeminate hips, his shoulders shaking, legs parted. Once he was done laughing his head off, he then looked at Kevin whose eyes were on Ben's hips. Then his green eyes noticed Kevin's folded legs that probably hid a tightness caused by the brunette.

Kevin didn't notice the alluring grin Ben gave his way. Walking rather slyly up to the sitting raven, making Kevin look up from the torso, Ben stood right in front of him, and grinned down at him, his green eyes flashing like pools of poison, "Hehe, I can't read minds, but..." he bent a little, placing his hands on either of Kevin's shoulders, while the raven looked up at him in awe-inspired curiosity.

"... But I can tell, when it comes to you, Kevin."

Kevin absentmindedly smacked his parched lips.

Ben leaned more forward, the heels of his palms digging into Kevin's shoulder in a hint for him to ease back. Kevin let himself be pushed back and he lay down, while his legs unfolded themselves and were still dangling off the edges with feet planted on the floor.

Ben climbed on him on all fours; palms on the bed on either side of Kevin's head; knees on the bed on either side of Kevin's waist; not removing his hypnotising green eyes from Kevin's brown ones as he spoke, "And look on the bright side, Kevin," he salaciously placed one hand on Kevin's pecs, "Unlike when I was a Vulphorous, we can kiss and stuff. It's just like," his hand trailed lazily down the chiselled muscles, watching the look on Kevin's face change in deepening lust, "...its just like sex that's without sex but only foreplay."

Kevin's lips twisted into a pleased smirk, even as his eyes clouded with desire, "True..." his hands twitched from his sides to grip the small petite frame, but he kept them restrained for some masochist reason that washed over him. Yeah, Ben easily messes up his desires.

"So let me be of service to you, to make up for all the _torture_,..." the brunette's voice whispered from above him, his breath gently ghosting over his face. Ben's full lips pushed out to make the most deviously seductive smile Kevin had seen in his lifetime.

"_Woah_..." Kevin breathed, his eyes almost wide as he gazed at the brunette. He had been worried what the new hormones were doing to Ben during his pregnant condition, but now he realised whatever they were doing, bring it on!

His thoughts then exploded to bits of nothingness when the slim fingers of Ben's roaming hand hooked into the waistband on Kevin's jeans, thumb precariously rubbing over the prominent bulge under it.

o.o.o

Gwen happily walked up to the bedroom door of Kevin's room. As she approached it she heard some sounds from inside, but chose to ignore it. Unwittingly, she pushed open the door.

"_Errrkkkk_..._Aaahh... fuck, Ben!..aahhh..."_

Her jade eyes widened in shock of the spectacle, the colours draining off her face to replace it with deepening shades of red. Her hand slapped to her mouth at her first live view of a blow job.

Ben removed his mouth from you-know-where, turning his drooling face to the door, as did Kevin (who had gone half blind and really breathless) raised himself on his elbows to look at the door.

Gwen's eyelids twitched. "Ubb, uhh, ukkk... ss-sorry, I mean, I didn't, I shouldda knocked, I udhhh... sorry!" she stammered, quickly slamming the door shut and pressing her back to it from the outside, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heartbeat. She didn't know whether she was more disgusted because it was her cousin and her ex-boyfriend, or excited because she was a yaoi-fangirl.

Looking rather petrified and thrilled, she stared off into space, letting her burning cheeks cool themselves. Then, shuddering gently, she walked away a few metres, but froze when she heard Julie come up the stairs, from the opposite side of the corridor. Spinning around on her heels, Gwen's mouth fell open when she saw Julie with her hand already on the door handle of the raven's bedroom, obviously unaware of what was on the other side.

"No! Julie _stop_!" Gwen jumped, grabbing her best friend by the pink sweater-clad arm and pushing her against the wall, and pressing smack against her in the effort to deter any more movements.

"What?! I just wanted to see Be-" Julie started, but Gwen put a finger on her own lips and shook her head whilst whispering, "No, you better not go in there!"

"But wh-" and Gwen interrupted her again, mouthing the word 'fellatio' at which, the Asian's brown slanted eyes went as wide as their tiny size could, and her pink rose-bud lips turned into a cute 'o'.

Gwen pulled back, and they looked at each other's red-stained faces. And the next moment, they burst into hushed giggles of gossipers, holding each other's hands. The excitement of having caught two _guys_ doing 'that' was more, than the disgust of having caught two _persons_ doing... 'that'.

"Oh, not fair! You got to see!" Julie pouted, at which Gwen felt guilty, "Oh cmon, not like I chose to!"

"But you _did see!_" Julie pouted further. Gwen chewed her lips in thought, as Julie scrunched her eyes cutely, wringing her fingers in a 'pretty pleeeeease' fashion.

"Oh, ok!" the rosette gave in. Turning to the bedroom door that hid the devilishly thrilling scene, she braced herself, and placed her right hand on in. Chanting a spell under her breath, a swirl of soft pink light formed around her palm and she removed her hand away slowly. The whirlpooling swirl turned in an oval shape and revealed what was happening within the room. Like, in live.

"OH MY GOD!" Julie gaped.

Now that her friend had a moment's peep, Gwen scrunched her right palm into a fist and the oval shape disappeared. Turning to ask Julie the opinion, Gwen's eyes went wide to see Julie slumped on the floor in a faint.

o.o.o

**Towards the end of First month :**

Ben smiled as he sat up from his short afternoon nap. Yawning like a bear, he happily trotted off the bed and walked into the bathroom to wash his face.

He hummed softly as he rolled up the sleeves of the grey sweatshirt of Kevin's which he wore, that was too sizes too big for him. Exactly why he had chosen it, of course, given it was large and warm, and smelt of Kevin. It was more than enough attire for bed, so much so that he had worn nothing under it but his boxers.

He turned on the faucet and cupped his hands under the steady strong stream, and splashed the water onto his face like he had seen models do in face-wash commercials. Grinning at his drenched reflection of a face, he turned off the faucet and absentmindedly grabbed the towel he knew was there all too well. Wiping off his face, he stood back and looked at his face in the mirror again.

Somewhat of a glow on his face told him he was his usual self. Although, his lips were fuller than usual, but that could just be Kevin tugging on them with his own, all the time. And his greens eyes were same, although Ben suspected his eyelashes were growing a little longer, but that could just be his overboard imagination. But the rest of his face was normal. Cheeks that were so used to blushing all the time. A nose that when he scrunched, Kevin said, had made his heart wring when they had been just frenemies. Perfectly angled cheekbones, not-too-clefted jaws, small ears, bratty brown hair that Kevin loved to slick back and at times ruffle, both equally.

Ben hummed again. Everything about him had 'Kevin' written all over it. And he was happy about it too.

A soft but strained exhalation startled the hero. It was not himself; it came from his right. Turning, Ben blinked to see a Kevin stand in the shower, leaning against the white tiled wall, feet crossed at the ankle, with a white towel draped suggestively around his waist. Ben _tried_ not to fancy was what underneath it.

"Hi," Ben smiled, as if trying to say 'you didn't scare me.'

Kevin gave him a wide grin, "Hi, to you too."

"Hiding in the shower? What are you, a pining schoolboy?!" Ben chuckled, putting his hands at his hips smartly.

Kevin's eye flashed dangerously, even as a smirk leaked into his grin, "Naw, I was just finishing up a nice shower, when Sleepy-Head decides to freshen up. I gotta admit, you are _way _cuter when you don't even _try_ to be."

Ben peered at him with one green eye, pouting. Tilting up his chin at him vainly, Ben spoke, "Well, I can be cuter if I want!"

"Oh_, please no_...," Kevin sighed, placing a wet palm on his wet bare chest where his heart beat, ",...there's only so much that this guy can take before you kill him with your cuteness..."

Ben grinned eagerly, reaching out to him, "C'mere, you charmer!"

o.o.o

Kevin grinned.

Given the fact that he could never be in Ben's presence without either suffocating him with kisses or grinding him to the walls; he liked how they stood now, in front of that full mirror again, Ben standing in front of him, back pressed to his chiselled chest, small ass to his groin. Both of them spent a quiet time simply gazing at the shiny reflective surface that showed them clearly from top to bottom; the difference in height, the difference in muscle density, Kevin's pale skin to Ben's tanner one, the black mane and the brown locks, deep chocolate brown eyes half lidded in satisfied passion and contentment, and glittery green eyes wide in joyous curiosity. Large muscular arms wound gently around the slimmer form with the hands locked at the tummy, while thin bony hands clutched the bigger wrists softly. The taller teen's chin propped on the smaller shoulders.

Kevin's hands ever so slightly happened to brush over Ben's tummy, and he shifted in alarm. Ben looked over his shoulder, to see Kevin looking down. Ben looked down too, "What?"

"Look! Its visible!"

Surely, the slightly awkward bulge was visible through Ben's shirt. Even without a question, Kevin's hand pulled up the hem of the black shirt to Ben's collarbones. Peering over Ben's shoulder, he grinned, "Well, wouldjya look at that! The kids growing up!"

Ben laughed gently, and then scrunched his nose, "It's moving again!"

"Really?" Kevin mused in fascination, wondering what it was like to be a guy carrying a child. "Does it hurt?"

"Nope," Ben answered peacefully, "I suddenly just thought... would it be a boy or a girl?"

"I dunno; males have both the X and Y chromosomes; so if my X bonded with your Y or the other way around, we'd have a son; and if my X bonded with your X, we'd have a daughter. So, both genders are equally possible."

Ben chuckled in reply. Kevin raised his eyebrows, his face moving as Ben's shoulders moved while he chuckled. "Whats so funny?", Kevin asked, looking back at the mirror and admiring Ben's cute face.

"You just sounded like Gwen!"

"Oh, the horror," Kevin smirked, rolling his eyes. A few moments of silence later, Ben asked, "What would you prefer?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, a daughter, or a son?"

Kevin chose a few moments of pensive thought. Then he answered, "I dunno; whatever gender it is, it's _my_ child and I will just love it all I can."

"Just _your_ child?" Ben looked over his shoulder, shooting him a long look of slitted green eyes narrowed in a glare.

Kevin giggled nervously, "Oopsie, I meant _our_ child...I guess I should give you credit for the job of carrying it, right?"

"Ya think?!" Ben snorted, making Kevin lean in and kiss him on the cheek. Ben felt much better then.

"However..." Kevin mused, making Ben look over his shoulder again, and he opened his mouth to ask 'what about?' but he stopped when Kevin lifted his Omnitrix-wearing wrist. Careful not to touch the gadget as such in case he erupted into a mutant like last time (from which Gwen had rid him difficultly but successfully), Kevin poked on the top to wake it from its sleep mode. Blinking a green that radiated in the same hue as the green eyes staring at what Kevin was doing, the raven called out, "Omnitrix, activate internal scan of host."

Ben blinked. The Omnitrix answered back coolly in Ben's voice, "_Initiating bipolar internal scan_."

Kevin snickered. He always thought the Omnitrix sounded sexy with Ben's voice like that. Made him glad he was not paraphilic or he would have somehow managed to morph it into a humanoid and fucked it senseless. Yikes.

"_Internal scans complete. Awaiting instructions to proceed._" The voice spoke again, making Kevin grin at his perverted thoughts.

"Output result of scan," Kevin ordered, while the wielder himself stared between the two like a child watching a tennis match.

"_No health hazards found. No fatal DNA sequences found. One underdeveloped organic form found. Awaiting instructions to proceed._"

Kevin tightened his lips, at his kid being referred to as an 'underdeveloped organic form' but being the factual person he was, he knew that the Omnitrix was absolutely right.

Kevin caught Ben glancing at him. He nodded, "Yup, that's our baby growing in you." Ben's face lit up in a big smile.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Ben asked eagerly. Kevin sighed. Being just a sixteen year old teenager who had as much love for biology as he had for history, (which was nil, by the way), Kevin understood that Ben would keep forgetting it was too early to predict, although this was a supernatural foetus.

"Want me to ask your Omny-poo?" Kevin grinned, making Ben pout at the name. Kevin took that as a 'yes' and turned to the hand he held near his face.

"Omnitrix, activate gender analysis of underdeveloped organic form."

"_Initiating gender analysis_." Again, Kevin's perverted mind ticked and whirred, stopping only when he realised that Ben seemed to have guessed what the raven was thinking.

A few seconds later, the Omnitrix spoke coolly, "_Gender analysis failed. Unable to indentify gender due to multiple DNA barring. Scan recommended to a later time. Awaiting instructions to proceed._"

Kevin turned to Ben with a smooth smile, "Now, do you believe me?"

"_Unknown command_." The Omnitrix answered, making Kevin roll his eyes at it, "I wasn't talking to you!"

"_Unknown command_." It repeated, making Ben laugh. Kevin rolled his eyes again, tapping the top of the gadget making it fall asleep as a hypnotist puts his patient into a slumber.

"So, as I was saying... ?"

"Yeah, I get it now, the kid's not grown up yet, and the 'multiple DNA thing' is probably all the DNA sequences protecting the child from the scan because the scan may be dangerous to it,'" Ben sighed, leaning back against the strong body that held him gently but firmly.

Kevin chuckled, nuzzling against the slim neck, "Now _you_ sound like Gwen."

"Oh, the horror," Ben replied smartly. Kevin released his fingers from around Ben's Omnitrix-wrist and caught the brunette's chin instead. Angling it towards him in a convenient position, Kevin kissed him. Ben kissed him back lovingly, while they maintained their pose of ass-to-groin, infront of the mirror that reflected their passionate act without a snitch. For a moment, their pose resembled that of Jack Dawson's and Rose DeWitt Bukater's from that famous Titanic scene, where they stood at the tippity-top of the ship's nose.

Sniffling from behind the door, which was cracked open a teensy bit for them to peek, Gwen and Julie watched, and listened to, the soon-to-be-daddies.

"Aw, they're so cute together, I could _die_!" Julie sniffled again, clutching tighter to Gwen's arm. Gwen nodded, brushing a tear off under her lashes, "My thoughts exactly! We'll spoil our god-baby to death, Julie; yes we will!" her eyes sparkled in affection as she continued to stare at a sight she never would have even dreamed to happen several months ago when Kevin stepped out of a green Camero, appearing for the first time in five years, with a taught look across his bad-boy face. Or when Kevin had replied to Ben's hand, outstretched for a shake, with a cold glare of negation.

"Life and love, both change like tides," Gwen mused quietly.

Meanwhile, Kevin lifted his lips off the full ones when he detected from the corner of his eyes a slanting shadow, appropriately two, moving on the floor. Smiling, he lifted his head off the smaller shoulder while Ben looked up as if to demand why he had broken the kiss.

"Alright girls, that's enough snooping for one day, come out; we have stuff to discuss!" Kevin called out over his shoulder. Ben looked surprised as he craned his head in the direction Kevin was looking. Two figures slid into the room with sheepish looks on their faces.

"Hehe... sorry," Gwen giggled, and straightened the white collar of her shirt. Julie bowed in her traditional Japanese way of an apology.

Kevin laughed at them, waving his hand forward, gesturing them to quit the apologies and come over. Ben turned, pulling the hem of his black shirt lower, blushing, "I think I should wear some pants for a change..."

"Well, thats what you get for always taking them off!" Kevin laughed, "Especially not caring when you have two peeky owls and one _hornatious_ partner!"

Gwen grinned in agreement. Uttering a Latin spell, she merely swished her glowing hand, and the blue jeans that sat on the bed flew magically to Ben, and the next moment, Ben was wearing them even before he could blink.

"Cool!" he stared down at himself.

"Coming to matters," Julie spoke, making the three turn to her sincere and solemn face, "Now that the baby bump is visible, shouldn't we inform Max?"

Gwen nodded, turning to Kevin, "And then go to Carl and Sandra."

Ben tensed gently from Kevin's casual hand-around-waist grasp. Kevin cuddled him closer, "What, you scared, Tennyson?"

o.o.o

Max, Ben and Kevin stood calmly in the dining room. A single counter separated it from the kitchen. Sandra and Carl stood in the kitchen side, while the other three stood in the dining side, with the counter between them.

Carl and Sandra would at times glance at Kevin, who despite his 'roguish charm', evidently haloed a glow of mature austereness, rather than the bland 'dont-give-a-fuck-about-nothing' sort of look that teenager usually give in serious matters. Ten points to Levin!

The two Tennyson parents had been delighted when their son showed up in their doorstep, unfazed by the oddly rare fact that he had buttoned his green jacket at the tummy. But their glee turned to poorly disguised worry when Max's mountainous form stood behind him, and Kevin's brawny muscled structure stood to his left side. Like sentinels protecting a fragile glass sculpture prince.

And now, in the house, there was just an awkward silence.

"So, dad, what's up?" Carl asked Max, scratching the back of his neck, nervously. Sandra bit her lip, "I hope it's nothing serious, like that world is going to end or a meteor is going to strike; and my baby boy needs to risk his ..."

Ben blushed, "Mom, please!" and Kevin fought a smile so badly, he nearly growled.

Max laughed, "No, no, Sandra, it's nothing _that_ horrible. Just that we need your permission as Ben's parents to let us take him off Earth for a bit."

"Outside Earth?" Sandra looked wide-eyed. She contrasted her family with a typical average normal one, where usually the grandparent asks their sons and daughter if they could borrow their grandkid for a camping out city.

Carl spoke, "What's happened?"

"Nothing much," Max shifted on his feet, considering it not very role-model-ish to be lying to his grown-up son and daughter-in-law, "Ben needs to be present for this very important and secretive mission, and we need him outside of Earth for that."

"Can't it be done from here? You're a Judge Plumber, aren't you?"

"I think you mean 'Magister'," Max corrected Sandra, "And no, unfortunately, we need to take Ben over there. It's a planet a bit far off Milky Way Galaxy. Important hero-stuff."

He watched the two, who obviously unfamiliar with the alien world, were absorbing the information, and hence easily buying it.

"Ben's going _alone_?" Sandra asked, at which Carl shook his head, "No, honey, clearly he said 'we' and 'us', meaning he's going too, right, Dad?"

"Yes, of course, I have to," Max nodded. He knew that as a part of the plan, while Ben andkevin remain hidden in the protected Levin house, he would have to remain on hiatus to pretend to be off Earth.

"How long will he be there, hanging in space?!" Sandra put her next anxious question forward. Kevin nearly wondered whether having parents was as troublesome, but he quickly cleared his mind.

"Sandra..." Max sighed with a smile, "Firstly, Ben will not be 'hanging in space' if that's what you fear, and secondly,... um, he will be gone for two months." Exact amount of time for Ben to birth the child.

"_Two_ months!" the two parents gasped. Sandra then looked lost as she spoke, "Ben's high school starts next week! He will be missing all his studies! As much as we are proud he is saving the world for us, I don't want him to lag behind educationally!"

Carl nodded in agreement.

Ben spoke this time, "Mom, it's ok! Gwen and Julie offered to take down the notes and stuff for me," which was true in every word of the two loving soon-to-be-god-mothers, "And with their help, I'll catch up with my studies in no time! You know how brainy Gwen is and how good Julie is at teaching!"

Sandra nodded off in a haze, probably still contemplating sending her baby boy into the never-ending abyss of the Universe. Pity she never knew how many times he had been there without her permission; frolicked and shook hands with Death, Fear and Fate; and returned in one piece.

"Mom, I'll be ok," Ben spoke softly in a reassuring tone. Carl and Sandra smiled, before the smile just fell off the woman's face as she realised something, "Wait, Gwen and Julie aren't accompanying you to Space?"

Max replied, "No. Its Ben's presence that's necessary there, Sandra. So, it's just me, Ben and Kevin."

At the sound of the last name, the two parents flicked their eyes to the tall raven, who gave them his most polite smile, without making himself look like an idiotic dork at the same time. Carl nodded at Kevin in acceptance. Sandra blinked at him a moment longer without saying anything. Kevin realised that a lot of things were whirring and gearing inside the woman's head. She was maybe even analysing his friendship with Ben, the distance he stood from him, the way they spoke to each other or as such, enough to consider whether he was a problem to her Benny boy, or not.

Kevin thought_, Benji probably inherited her thinking sense._

She narrowed her aged eyes ever so slightly at him, such that no one except the recipient would notice.

_Or not._

"So, you guys agree with me going?" Ben asked in anticipation. They _had _to agree, or he would be forced to have Gwen knock them both out and spell them with a Forget Everything Spell or Obey Me Spell or something.

Sandra looked at Carl, her face tensed and clenched, probably going to voice her anxiety. Carl however, gave her a long cool look as if to remind her their conversation days ago.

_He is a special kid. So we must be his special parents._

Sandra understood. Her face cleared, as she turned to her son with a pleasant smile. Kevin internally commented that she actually looked pretty smiling like that.

"Well, since Dad is with you, and you have Kevin as well," she glanced at the ruffian who reflected the blank look back at her, "I think, Carl and I agree you should go."

Carl nodded, wearing a similar smile. This time, for half a second, Kevin was suddenly struck with the resemblance of the way the man's lips formed his smile, with how Ben used to. The raven quickly regained his balance in the next half second.

"Aw; mom, dad, thanks!" Ben beamed, reaching out to touch both their hands in appreciation. He did want to hug them so bad, but he feared that if he did, they, especially Sandra, would feel the bulge growing in him. No, not the one he got in his pants when he saw Kevin, but the one he had on his stomach.

And so he couldn't hug them. Carl and Sandra merely took his lack of a hug as the usual teenager's want to keep a space of privacy as they grew up.

Smiling, Max sighed, "Well, then, Ben is going to get packing today. I have to go as well, a few things to take care you see," namely preparing the Plumbers Kids for their patrol and managing Gwen put up the protective invisibility spell for Kevin's home, "So, shall we, Ben?"

Ben nodded, before gingerly kissing each of his parents on the cheek. Sandra stroked him on the head, saying in her motherly way, "Now be really careful, don't exert too much of yourself, ok? Keep your guard up and be a wary of everything. And remember, peace is much better than violence!"

Ben sighed, "Yeah, if only the aliens knew that too, it'd be a whole lot easier."

Although her advice was not of much use considering he was going to give birth to a child rather than to a war, he still kept her words in his heart for the next time Vilgax, or such, decide to drop in and serenade through Bellwood with alien invasions.

Soon, the three hero figures walked out of the Tennyson home, and into the green Camero parked outside.

"Why do I feel a bit guilty?" Ben muttered to himself.

- End of Chapter -

* * *

**_Yeah, kind of rude tht they're hiding the birth of the grandkid from its grandparents rite? But, I dunno, this is how the story goes in my head and tht's how I shall write it! :D those disagreeing can... happily sigh and wait for the next update. Wink!_**

**_Oh and hotxhotguy, pls do wait, your appearance is soon coming! :D mwah to you!_**

**_review and fav and follow, whtever tht pleases you! :D_**


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